Jagamino
by thoth-moon
Summary: Sixteen years after Hiei and Kurama have died, their friends and family must deal with the emergence of a new demon with a plot against Spirit World. The rules of death do not bend easily. Sequal to The Wrong Turns & Detours of Love OC,WIP,ShonenAi
1. Chapter I

I've got it. One year, one month, and nine days after "The Wrong Turns & Detours of Love" first appeared on the Internet, though itmade its appearance on this site a lot more recently,I have the first chapter of its sequel, "Jagamino."

Well then, I suppose before we start I should address a few things:

This story will center, until actions and details imply otherwise, around the the Jaganshi-Minamino twins, children of Hiei and Kurama, who made their appearance toward the end of "The Wrong Turns & Detours of Love." The twins are now in high school and have been raised by their grandparents, Shiori and Kazuya Hatanaka, as Hiei and Kurama have been dead for 16 years. If you read the story to which this one is sequel, you should already know this, and if you have not, you really should, because otherwise you will understand very little if anything at all that goes on in this story.

The only other detail I feel worth mentioning is the name change of Hiei and Kurama's daughter. In "The Wrong Turns & Detours of Love", she was originally named Takara. After hearing some input from the talented Mr. Fine, who knows Japanese and whom I can no longer find and and whose discussion and writing has and will be sorely missed, and the realization that I really didn't care much for the name Takara, the name of the girl twin has been changed to Rikou, which I find much more pleasant both in meaning and in sound (and I would like to think that if Mr. Fine were still around he would approve of this new name).

Now that I've addressed everything important that I can currently think of, I present to you Chapter 1:

Disclaimer: I do not own the idea, plot, or characters of the manga and anime Yu Yu Hakusho. The aforementioned item belongs to its creator Yoshihiro Togashi and not me; I merely borrow the characters to manipulate for my own amusement and leisure but do not make any money whatsoever off of it. However, the idea of the stories "The Wrong Turns & Detours of Love" and "Jagamino" and all original characters corresponding with both stories are mine, so please don't take them.

* * *

Jagamino  
Chapter 1  
December 17, 2005

"Argh!"

"Get out!"

"Pervert!"

"Ouch!"

The gym teacher, alarmed by this continuous series of shrieks, decided to investigate. "Ladies," he called, knocking on the door. "Is there a problem?"

The door opened, and the teacher was greeted by a red-faced, flustered girl still in her gym clothes, while behind her several other girls darted for cover to conceal their half-clothed bodies. "Ask _him!_" she roared furiously, shoving the apparent cause of the ruckus toward the teacher. She delivered a kick to the aforementioned person addressed as "him", and then the door slammed, muffling the angry chatter of the girls in the locker room behind it.

The teacher blinked, and then examined the spectacle before him with a scowl on his face.

The spectacle shifted on his feet, glanced around, and raised his hands as though in an effort to fend off the steely glare directed at him. "I know what you're thinking . . . But I can explain."

"Go to the principal's office, Takashi," said the teacher. "You can explain it to him."

"Uh, of course, sir," he remarked, trying to look as confident as he could, given his current apparel.

"And get dressed before you do!"

"Of course!" he retorted quietly, wondering how dumb the teacher thought him to be. He glared at the latter as he stalked back toward his office.

Snickering redirected his attention. He smiled slightly. "Did that amuse you?"

The other boy stood doubled over, body shaking as he laughed. "That was priceless!" he exclaimed. "But you did dig your own grave."

"More like _you _dug it for me," said Takashi. "So, are you still going to kill me?"

His companion, a boy named Kenji, shook his head. "Naw- I think this is more humiliating for you. 'Sides"- he pointed to Takashi's thigh- "it looks like those girls beat you up for me." There was an ugly purpling bruise on the side of his leg.

"Yeah . . . Vicious creatures, aren't they? You mind grabbing my clothes?"

"What? Too scared to go back in?" Kenji teased.

Takashi smiled helplessly, holding out his hands and splaying his fingers. "Haven't I had enough humiliation for one day? I'm a human being, Kenji; give me my dignity back." He made his tone sound as pathetic as possible.

Kenji rolled his eyes, though his face showed no contempt. "You're pathetic," he said affectionately. "Wait here."

Takashi crossed his arms and tapped his foot, for lack of anything to do. He turned his head and saw that a boy, an underclassman, lingered at the entryway to the gym, gawking at him. "What are you staring at?" he barked. "Nothing out of the ordinary here!"

The underclassman started, and immediately moved along. Though in his defense, one really couldn't blame him for having stared, for contrary to Takashi's statement, there truly was something out of the ordinary about seeing a teenage boy standing in the middle of the gym wearing nothing but a pair of emerald green briefs.

* * *

"Wait . . . _Why _were you in the girls' locker room?"

"It's not as bad as it sounds!" Takashi dramatically threw up his arms in frustration. "It was a gross misunderstanding! I'm the victim of too many assumptions!"

"Sound more like you're a pervert," said the girl, Rikou. She sat across from him, slouched, on a low set futon couch, wearing baggy black clothes currently littered with white cat fur, shed from the shaggy feline occupying her lap. "Cat, you're getting hair all over me," she observed mildly, pushing her own hair, a medley of raven and aqua strands, away from her face.

"Just push her off," Takashi muttered.

Green eyes narrowed slightly at the thought. "No," his sister said stubbornly. "I've never gotten her to behave this mellow before; she's usually very skittish. Kuwabara said she was abused before."

"And I'm not a pervert," he said. "I told you, it was a misunderstanding."

"Yeah, you keep saying that, but where's your evidence? Would you mind elaborating a little?"

"Fine; I will." He donned an indignant look. "_This _is what happened."

* * *

"It smells like ass in here!" bellowed Buma, an athletic-looking boy who appeared as though steroids were possibly a part of his daily diet.

"Then close your mouth, retard!" Kenji shouted from the other side of the room. He kicked back on the bench, resting his back against a row of lockers, eying his knee with an impassive look on his face. "Does this look infected?" he asked Takashi.

Takashi straddled the bench and leaned over, examining his friend's badly scraped knee. He made a face. "Man, that thing's already puss-ing up; you tell me."

"Great . . ." Kenji said unenthusiastically.

"Oh gross!" Buma yelled. "What are you doing, giving him a blow job?"

Kenji rolled his eyes. "Yeah, dumb ass. He's my bitch, and he's somehow blowing me with my pants on and his head by my knee; but what can I say, it's on of his talents."

"Oh sick!" the other boy ranted, while the majority of the locker room began to laugh.

"I don't know, Buma," somebody said. "I think they'd be a great couple. They could be Purple Pride and the Flamer."

Kenji uttered an annoyed sigh. "Maybe it's time I changed my hair color . . ."

"Don't go with pink if you hate being called 'Purple Pride'," Takashi said with a grin.

"I don't see why you guys are laughing!" Buma practically screamed. "They could rape any one of us right now!"

"How come it's always the ugliest guy around who thinks the gay guys are gonna rape him?" Takashi wondered as he began to undress.

"Speak for yourself," Kenji muttered from the bench.

"Oh come on Kenji," Takashi teased. "You're such a closet case!" He pronounced his s's with a slight, deliberate lisp.

"Knock it off," he warned the redhead.

"Don't be afraid!" Takashi continued. "Let me love you, Purple Pride!"

"Oh that is it!" Kenji scrambled to his feet. "You are _so _dead!"

"Aw shit!" the condemned boy exclaimed, grinning uneasily. "_AW SHIT!_" he repeated as Kenji lunged for him.

"Looks like trouble in paradise," someone laughed as Takashi darted for the door with Kenji in pursuit.

Takashi sprinted down the enclosed hallway running by the back of the locker rooms, the laundry room, and the gym teacher's office, feeling quite thankful he was faster than Kenji. "Kenji, you have _no _sense of humor!" he told the purple-haired boy as he spied a door and quickly disappeared behind it.

He turned around and paled. "Um, hi ladies," he stammered. "Ladies, I know what you're thinking, and I can explain . . . Ouch! You're not letting me explain!"

* * *

". . . Did it ever occur to you that running almost naked into the girls' locker room might be a _bad _idea?" Rikou asked.

"I thought it was the laundry room!" he exclaimed. "They're right beside each other; I expected to see dryers, not pissy half-naked girls!"

"Whoa!" a new voice, deep and masculine, said. "Did I come in on the wrong part of that conversation?"

"It was a complete misunderstanding!"

"What did the principal say?" Kuwabara asked.

"I have to come in early for the next week and apologize to each girl personally."

"Isn't that kind of light?"

"Assuming none of the girls kill him before he apologizes," Rikou said. "Or during. Or after."

"Apologizes for what?" asked a soft feminine voice.

"Going into the girls' locker room while they were changing," Rikou answered before Takashi could explain himself. "In only his underwear."

"What?" Blood-colored eyes suddenly narrowed. "Takashi!"

_Smack!_

"Ouch!" He held his cheek. "What was that for?"

"You can't go around treating women like that!" _Smack._ "Your family raised you to be better than that!" _Smack._

"Oooh . . . Mood swing," Rikou observed. She slinked down the hall, closely followed by Kuwabara.

"Hey . . . Yukina! She made it sound worse than it is; it's a misunderstanding; I can explain!"

Rikou pulled out her I.D. and pinned it to her shirt. "There you go," she said, setting the cat down. "May I help you?" she asked the woman on the other side of the counter.

The woman read Rikou's tag. "Jaganshi-_Minamino_? Are you related to-?"

"Yukina- Ouch! You're not letting me explain!"

"Whoops! Wrong one." Rikou grabbed her school bag and exchanged her student I.D. for the one for Second Chance Animal Shelter.

The name on this one read as Rikou Jagamino.


	2. Chapter II

Oh cool, I managed to write and revise this chapter in time for today! Well, I managed to meet half my goal- I was originally wanting to get this and a chapter of WIOOP? done, but with me I guess half is better than nothing, huh?

Well, we'll get caught up on some more characters in this chapter- and more still to come next chapter. I figure it'd be best to touch bases on everybody before going to the actual plot of this story, you know what I'm saying? Oh yeah, and in this chapter we see a character from the show who I've never put in any of my stories but thought it might be interesting to, even if just for a minor role.

* * *

Jagamino  
Chapter 2  
December 25, 2005

"What do they have Takashi doing?"

"Busy work," Rikou answered. "He's filing a few things in the office right now; I think he was actually _enjoying _himself. What sort of punishment is that supposed to be? I mean, really? Sometimes I think this school's run by morons."

"Perhaps, compared to some people. Genius types like you and your brother and your- Ouch!" He'd spilt his coffee.

"And you," she said, tapping her fingers on a volume of the English writer Shakespeare while watching him pull up his now-stained sleeve and wipe coffee off his arm. "Even when you're a klutz and burn yourself. Don't sell yourself short, Kaito."

"You should really call me _Mr._ Kaito while in school, Rikou," said the aforementioned Yuu Kaito.

"And you should really call me Ms. Jaganshi-Minamino," she shot back at the literature teacher, rolling her eyes. "And that's another thing. I don't see why they still address us like that; they know Takashi and I don't answer to it."

"Which is why I don't," Kaito said. "Besides, Jaganshi-Minamino becomes a mouthful after a while."

"Yeah," she said, knotting her brows. "That too."

Kaito sipped his coffee. He knew that neither Rikou nor Takashi really cared about the length of their last name- they just didn't care much for the fame attached to it, especially here at the school. He remembered the first day the two had entered Meiou Institute, the buzz that circulated around the school that day about the offspring of the prodigious Suichi Minamino. Members of the faculty had sat about the teachers' lounge, eating their lunches and sipping their drinks and marveling at the brilliant minds churned out by that family's gene pool.

And then, naturally, there had been the lamentation about the fate of poor Suichi- the bright spark snuffed out too soon, everyone said. Many of the faculty had been teachers- or, in the case of a few like Kaito, classmates- of Suichi, and even now they were unwilling to fully accept how the prodigy's life had been cut short. Suichi, they all knew, had died of a disease that quietly destroyed his body on the inside over a time frame of mere months; he was only twenty years old. Rikou and Takashi were raised by Suichi's mother and step-father after their mother- whose background was an ambiguity at best- died in childbirth. A tragic end for someone so young, so great, so promising, they all said; a crying shame, they all said.

Kaito knew better, though, and never believed the half-facts revolving around Suichi's death. He knew that Suichi Minamino was in fact the fox demon Kurama reborn in human flesh. Fox demons, he came to learn, possessed a strikingly different reproductive anatomy from humans and most demons, and after Suichi's flesh was altered by the nonhuman energy that dwelt within, he was impregnated by his demonic companion Hiei. Hiei was cut down by a homicidal rogue from the Makai, and Suichi fell into a depression while his body housed and nourished the demons' children. Upon giving birth his family and friends learned that carrying the twins to full term had wrought upon his body a fatal toll, and that Suichi had known it the entire time.

Kaito's former class mate died in his mother Shiori's arms, a couple of days after the delivery, too weak to even sit up. Kaito lost contact with his friend, as he had been traveling abroad at the time, and did not learn of Suichi and Hiei's fates until he returned a few years later.

Of course, the true details of Suichi's death and his children's parentage were only known to a small number of people- how did one explain to the average person that the star of the Meiou Institute had been a millennia-old demon who died in childbirth?

Kaito's office door opened, and Rikou's brother Takashi entered. For being twins, even fraternal ones, the two bore very little semblance to one another, Kaito thought. Rikou's hair was black like Hiei's was, with streaks of an aqua color Kaito learned was displayed among Hiei's female relatives; Suichi had given her the same kind of emerald green eyes that he'd once used to watch people so inquisitively- a habit that had sometimes annoyed Kaito. Takashi had the same red hair that Suichi had possessed, such a vibrant hue that Kaito wagered most ordinary human beings would have to dye their hair to achieve the same color; like Hiei, Takashi was crimson-eyed- another odd color found not among ordinary human beings. Then again, Takashi and Rikou were anything _but _ordinary- or even human- another trait inherited from their parents. Kaito had once seen Rikou bring back one of his indoor plants from the brink of death simply by touching it, and before then it hadn't occurred to him that the two, like Suichi, weren't truly human at all.

"Done paying your debt to the athletic female population for today?" Rikou inquired.

Takashi snorted. "Yeah, make it sound _so_ much worse than it is. _This_ is nothing- and I'm kind of surprised, actually, given what I'm being punished for."

"Of course, that wasn't your fault," said Kaito dryly.

"Quite right," Takashi promptly replied. "A misunderstanding of insane proportions."

"Guess it helps to have connections within the system," his sister mused.

"Oh yeah. Thanks by the way," he said to Kaito.

The man shrugged. "You don't really strike me as the type who'd peek at girls changing."

"Thank you!" the redhead cried. "_Somebody _believes me- Hey . . . _why _wouldn't I strike you as that type, huh? You trying to insinuate something?" He donned a playful suspicious look.

"You were probably fine just by telling the truth," continued Kaito, ignoring Takashi's antics. "And I'd bet my library that your pedigree was taken into consideration."

"Terrific," Takashi muttered.

"Just like a celebrity," remarked Rikou, an impish expression taking over her face. "Brother, maybe you ought to take up swearing every other word or something."

"Ooh, yeah . . ." An expression similar to his sister's came over him. "Maybe I ought to start going around in my underwear _all _the time."

"Perhaps you ought to instigate a self-righteous religious following," offered an amused Kaito. "You could get away with making terrorist threats and gross acts of bigotry, and live highly while preaching humility, and be a hypocrite and a fraud and all the while be exempt from tax."

"Oh yeah," Takashi said. He closed his eyes and cleared his throat dramatically. "I come to you to preach God's words, and these are such: gays are by choice perversions of nature and abominations against our Father in Heaven; they are incapable of procreating more of their sinful kind, and so it is only logical that they recruit others into their sick, perverted lifestyle by adopting and corrupting young impressionable children; gays are responsible for the moral degradation of our society, they are a sickness that must be cured, their unnatural and sinful behaviors and desires and lifestyles must be repressed and corrected." He rolled his eyes and drew a breath before going on with his satirical act.

"Feminism encourages the destruction of capitalism, the murder of children by their mothers, and the practice of lesbianism; women who would dare to suggest that they can think for themselves and are not merely man's property and breeding stock are witches who seek to tempt men into damnation with their sly and seductive ways, and their only true consort is their master Satan. The mud-races are a product of bestiality; the wily Jew is using the dim-witted thuggish black as muscle against the true children of God . . . Come, true believers of our loving and inclusive God, and let us burn a cross, and abhor the sinners and abominations and perverts and temptresses and filth, for they shall never inherit the Kingdom-"

"Hey Mr. Satire," Kaito interrupted, as Takashi was such a convincing actor it was a little frightening. "Your boyfriend's waiting for you."

"Huh?" Takashi immediately abandoned his portrayal of a Christ-warper and gave Rikou a puzzled look.

"He's talking to _you_," she hissed.

"I am _not _his boyfriend," muttered Kenji from the door, glaring at Kaito. "We're going to be late," he said to Takashi.

The redhead nodded. "And he's not my boyfriend!" he exclaimed to the other two occupants of the room. "He's just a _boy _who happens to be my _friend!_"

"Lay off the coffee," muttered Kaito, Rikou, and Kenji as Takashi followed the purple-haired boy down the hall and out of sight.

* * *

"So where am I supposed to sleep?" Takashi demanded. "The floor?"

"Or the couch," Shiori replied mildly. "I would think it'd be more comfortable."

"Why can't he take the couch?"

"Because he's the guest," Rikou said. "And we have to be hospitable."

"Well if _you're_ so into hospitality, _you _sleep on the couch and he can have _your _room."

"I think Suichi would be more at home in a boy's room," their grandmother said to him.

". . . Her room _used _to be a boy's room, or at least half," the redhead sniffed.

"Pretending to cry only works for girls, Takashi," Shiori said.

"Oh that's great!" He narrowed his eyes. "This family's so sexist!"

"It doesn't work for me either," Rikou countered.

"Only because you cry rocks," he snorted. "So we can tell when you're faking. Okay, how about this? Suichi takes my room, I take Rikou's, and _she _gets the couch? He gets a room that's not girly, I get a bed, and she gets to be _hospitable_. It's a win-win-win situation!"

Now it was Rikou's turn to snort. "You really think you could last all night sleeping in my room?"

"Uh . . ." Takashi took a moment to consider his sister's odd taste in furnishing and room decor, and what that might look like in the dark . . . "Never mind," he said after a moment. "I'll sleep on the couch, if that's my _only _option."

"Thank you for your cooperation," Shiori said, patting him on the head. "Now put clean sheets on your bed."

"They _are_ clean," he protested, following her into the hall.

"I don't mean teenage boy clean," she called, going down the stairs.

Takashi shrugged, and then turned around and smiled at Rikou. "Hey, at least I tried, huh? That could have been the time."

"But wasn't."

"Unfortunately," he grumbled, marching down the hall to the linen closet. He glanced at the door behind which was a room claimed by nobody in the house yet inhabitance of was silently forbidden. Takashi called it the Taboo Room, and suspected that if his uncle Suichi hadn't moved out, he and Rikou would still be sleeping in the same room, as Shiori never let anybody stay in that room.

He donned a pitiful look. "You know what gets me though? She didn't even give me a night's notice so I could say good-bye to my bed properly."

Rikou shot him a Look. "I don't even want to know _what_ that means," she muttered, walking away from him.

"Oh it's all about that with you!" he called after her. "Well you have a sick, _sick_ mind, and that is _not _what I meant- Why do these _always_ unfold!" he demanded as a fitted sheet came undone in his hands. Grumbling, he dragged the bedding back to his room and hastily made his bed, and then went downstairs. "What's for dinner?" he asked Shiori.

"A casserole," she answered.

"I see; and when will that be ready?"

"We won't be eating until your grandfather comes home with your uncle."

"Well, when are _they _getting home?"

"In about half an hour. And Kazuma and Yukina are coming over too."

Takashi groaned. "She'll eat all the food. At least let me dish up my share before that happens."

"You over exaggerate," she admonished. He raised an eyebrow at this, and Shiori faltered slightly. "Well . . . she has an excuse."

"Uh-huh." His stomach growled. He slumped over the kitchen table and stared at the clock. "If I told you I'm pregnant too, could I get my dinner now?"

"If you told me you were pregnant, I would go knock on Kenji Kazuno's door and demand to know what he's been doing with my grandson," she replied nonchalantly.

"Grandma, Kenji's not Takashi's boyfriend," Rikou said, joining them. "He's just a _boy _who happens to be Takashi's _friend_."

"_Come on_," Takashi whined, propping himself up on one elbow. "You are a cruel woman, you are, who would let your only grandson starve because his aunt ate his dinner!"

"Oh you poor thing," Shiori teased. "Now you're just being dramatic. And you'd better be careful not to say those types of things around Yukina, it might . . . well, set her off, and she's been weepy as it is lately."

"No, with me she's been smacky."

"All the more reason not to provoke her. Speaking of . . . could one of you answer that?" By "that," she meant the door, whose bell was currently ringing.

"Right-o," said Rikou, rushing off to the front of the house. She opened to door to reveal her aunt, uncle and little cousins. "Hello," she greeted, stepping to the side to let a swollen Yukina in out of the chill. "Is it raining?" she inquired, taking a whiff of the air and smelling moisture.

"Only slightly," Kuwabara answered, ushering the twins Yuki and Haku inside. "What's that saying, April showers bring May flowers?"

"But it's not April yet. Hey you two," she said to the pint-sized half-demon children struggling to get out of their jackets. "How old are you two now? Three?"

"Five!" the two shouted up at her. "You _know _that!" exclaimed Haku, rushing forward and trying to head butt Rikou. This had very little effect though, as both Yuki and Haku were still very little and only came to barely meet Rikou's thigh.

Rikou observed this impassively. "Aren't you concerned that this might hurt his head?" she inquired.

"Are you kidding?" Yukina asked with a smile. "That little guy's head is so rock-hard; I'd be more concerned for your leg. Haku, stop it already." Immediately the little honey-haired boy stopped.

"Wish I could get them to listen to _me _that well," grumbled Kuwabara.

"They've probably seen what she does to me when she's pissed!" Takashi exclaimed from the kitchen.

"Takashi! Watch your mouth."

"What?"

"Don't say that word," Shiori said.

"What word? Pissed? What's wrong with saying pissed?"

"Because I don't want you to say it," she told him, pulling a glass casserole dish out of the oven.

"You'd better listen to her, Takashi," Kuwabara said. "Or you'll have me to deal with," he added with a grin.

"When have you ever truly struck fear in the heart of _anyone_, Kuwabara?" the redhead asked, smiling wryly.

"Well . . . there was this uppity drag-queen wannabe once . . ." Rikou and Takashi laughed, knowing to whom he referred.

"I think Kazuya and Suichi just got here," Shiori said, glancing out the kitchen window. "Takashi, stay out of that! You can wait five more minutes."

"No, I can't!" he protested, stomach growling.

"Well do something to take your mind off it; help Suichi take his things to our room." Shiori stepped outside, followed by Takashi, and approached the two figures emerging from the car. "Hello, Suichi," she said, hugging her step-son. "How was your flight?"

"Which one?" he asked, smiling. "Fine; long. Hey, Takashi."

"Yes, hello. Give me your stuff." The redhead began grabbing luggage.

"Ignore him, he's just hungry."

"I hope you don't mind sleeping in Takashi's room," Kazuya said to Suichi.

"Where's Takashi sleeping?"

"Couch," Takashi answered.

"Well he doesn't have to do that," Suichi protested. "I could always sleep in-"

"Nonsense!" Shiori said. "Takashi doesn't mind."

"Takashi, do you mind?" Kazuya asked.

". . . Of course not," he replied, knowing that with Shiori around there was only one correct answer.

"Takashi, there's no way you can carry _all _of that." Suichi relieved his nephew of several articles.

"There'll be a plate waiting for you," Kazuya said to Takashi, who nodded and went inside.

"How was Haiti?" the redhead asked Suichi.

"Um . . ." Suichi made a face. "I got to see things that most of the tourists don't. I wouldn't want to live there. _Ever._ What about you?"

Takashi held up his hands. "I can honestly say that I know absolutely nothing about Haiti."

"That's not what I meant."

"I got beat up by a mob of angry half-naked girls a few days back."

Suichi blinked. "Uh . . . What?" he managed.

"It was Kenji's fault. Want to see my bruises?"

* * *

He heard the slight creak of the stairs as somebody crept downstairs. "You can sleep in my room if you want."

Takashi laughed. "Don't you patronize me. This is actually more comfortable then I thought it'd be."

"You sure?" Rikou asked.

"_Yes_ I'm sure." He rolled over and pulled the blanket over his head. "Now leave me," he said lazily, making a gesture of dismissal with one hand. "I need my beauty sleep, and we all know too painfully well that you do."

"Hn." Rikou hit him over the head with a pillow and went back upstairs. She eyed a certain door on her way to her bed. "Waste of a room," she muttered. While her uncle Suichi slept in Takashi's room- Suichi's room when he was younger- and Takashi slept on the couch, there was a perfectly good room that went unclaimed by anybody living in the house. But nobody could ever stay in that room- Shiori silently forbid it. But Rikou could understand in a way; this room had a special meaning to Shiori.

It'd been their mother's room.

* * *

I don't know if anybody could guess that reference, but if anybody couldn't, Kuwabara was talking about the demon god Majari from the YYH movie. Sorry if anybody hasn't seen that and doesn't know who Majari is- it's okay, he didn't play too big a role so it's not as though you missed anything really major. But really, I was thinking about it, and Majari is the only opponent of Kuwabara's I can think of who by the end was terrified of what Kuwabara could do and not spitting insults and arrogance at him (even if Majari did do that at the beginning of their little fight).

Oh yeah, and for clarity- the whole celebrity underwear Christ-warper thing was making fun of people like Paris Hilton and Nichole Richie, Pat Robertson and the Ku Klux Klan- people like that. It's fun pointing out how stupid they all are.


	3. Chapter III

Happy New Year five days late. Back to school; yea fun. Heh, right.

I wrote up this chapter and I'm almost ready to post another WIOOP? chapter too, so there's something for you to look forward to this weekend. Hey, maybe now that it's the new year and I don't have to worry about covering my ass with a ton of different projects, I can finally get around to those sketches I was wanting to do . . . Yeah, I'll let you all know if I do.

Oh, and KyoHana, because I know you'll eventually read this and my e-mail's being a little screwy at the moment: thank you so much for the Christmas card, and I'm really sorry that I didn't get around to sending one to you before the Holidays (I actually bought one several days before with the intention of getting it to the post office, but I have this procrastination problem . . . how about one wishing you a very late merry Christmas and happy New Year?) Also, I'm almost done watching all the DVDs you sent me (oh so many thanks for doing that too!)- and if it's okay with you (I wouldn't do this without your permission, of course), might I copy the episodes onto VHS tapes? My parents have a thingy that can do it, and I know it won't screw up the DVDs or anything because they've already made some Hee-Haw tapes for my great-grandparents. My mother was the one who suggested it, but again, if you don't want me doing something like that with your disks that is totally cool too

* * *

Jagamino  
Chapter 3  
January 5, 2005

'Keiko's home,' Yusuke thought, seeing her car in the driveway. The sight relieved him a little- he'd been worried after visiting all the shops and learning that Keiko had been absent all day. "Hey, Keiko?" he called, taking a step inside the house. He discarded his car keys on the front table, his shoes by the door, and his jacket in the closet.

"I'm here, Yusuke," Keiko answered. It sounded as though she were upstairs, the bedroom possibly. Yusuke shrugged and followed the sound of her voice. He found her in their bedroom, sitting on the bed.

"Hey you," he said. "How was your . . . ?" He trailed off when he saw an opened package and its contents lying on the bedside table. "Oh." Yusuke drew in a breath. "Um . . . What does it say?"

Keiko picked up a small wand-like object and waved it around unceremoniously. "Negative," she said with a little sigh. "Again."

"Oh." He'd been afraid of that. "Keiko, I'm sorry . . ."

His wife shrugged it off and gave him a little semi-smile. "I guess we'll just have to try again," she said.

"Um, yeah." He flashed a reassuring smile. "Sure. Uh . . . do you fell like cooking?"

She shook her head. "No. You?"

"No. Want to order something?"

They decided on pizza, and as they ate, Yusuke thought of something. "Hey Keiko, Suichi's home . . . you think maybe he'd know something-?"

"Yusuke," Keiko interrupted, "I really don't want to bother Suichi with this." Her tone was soft but firm.

"Oh. Um, okay." He took a bite of pizza, chewing thoughtfully. "Well . . . Better luck next month, huh?" he said, conjuring a smile.

Keiko returned the expression. "This pizza's cold," she stated.

"I know," Yusuke said, beginning to laugh. "I ought to kick that guy's ass; I can't believe I paid him!" They both started to laugh. "I'll reheat that." Yusuke took her plate with his and placed the food in the microwave. "So . . ." he said over the appliance's hum. "What do you want to do tonight?"

He immediately regretted it. "Well . . . there's this foreign film playing."

'Stupid, stupid, stupid . . .' "Oh yeah?" he said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

"Yeah, I think you'll like it." She went to the closet and fetched her coat. "The protagonist is an ancient Egyptian lesbian."

Yusuke blinked. "Okay," he said. "Um, you start up the car and I'll find my shoes . . . where are my shoes?"

Keiko laughed. "By the door. Where you left them," she said, donning her own footwear and going outside.

* * *

"I can't believe you guys talked me into seeing this," Suichi groaned.

"Well we'd probably have gotten weird looks if we came without an adult," Rikou said defensively.

"Oh, so you dragged me along so I could get weird looks too?" he complained.

"Oh come on; I'll bet those people on the way in haven't even _seen _the movie."

"Probably," he agreed, rolling his eyes. "Rikou, at the risk of being presumptuous, the majority of the people who come to see this movie are probably those artsy types- what are they called . . . Bohemians- and lesbians. What?" Rikou gave him a dirty look. "I said that the _majority _probably is; I wasn't saying that _you _were- and if you are, I don't think anybody who matters will have a problem with that." Oh what a sticky web his tongue weaved for him.

Rikou rolled her eyes, mimicking her uncle. "I'm not that way- though I have a few friends who are. No, they do not hit on me," she said as Suichi began to open his mouth. "At least, not seriously. Besides, I think the only possible closet cases here are _those two_."

Suichi bit his lip to keep from laughing as Rikou pointed toward Takashi and Kenji. "Isn't that rather mean?"

"If I didn't know them like I do, yeah. But I _do_, and I think they might- _might_- be. And I think Kenji's parents think so, too."

"Yeah? What about Mom and Dad?"

She shrugged. "Like they care, right? So long as Takashi doesn't wind up pregnant." Suichi laughed a little.

"Shut up over there," Takashi said, throwing pop corn at his sister and uncle.

"This is weird," Kenji muttered. "She feels pressured into marrying her girlfriend, and nowadays you have thousands- hell, maybe even _millions_, who knows?- of couples who'd give who knows how much to just have that option of legal marriage available to them. That's sad, huh? That some civilization that existed _thousands _of years ago was more socially advanced than ours is now- What does that say about _us?"_

Takashi rolled his eyes. "Puh-leaze, Kenji; it's a known fact that marriage is a scam devised by the government to pump money from unsuspecting suckers in love. If anybody's getting screwed over by the homophobic government, it's the homophobic government- it'd be in their best interest economically if they let gays get married and pay the taxes that go along with it."

"I'm serious," the purple-haired boy said.

His companion laughed. "I know what you're saying; you're right. But hey, there's hope- look at Canada."

Kenji's face broke into a wry smile. "Yeah . . . everyone likes Canada."

"And Belgium, Spain, South Africa, the Netherlands-"

Kenji's smile grew wider. "The Netherlands . . . _Amsterdam_ . . ."

"_Eurotrip!_" they both said.

"Hey, shut up!" Kenji blinked as an empty cup hit him in the head.

"Yusuke, that was rude!"

Recognizing both voices, Takashi immediately turned around in his chair. "I know where you live!" he said, pointing an accusative finger at Yusuke.

"Why are you here?"

"We're _trying _to watch the movie!"

"Shut up!" Suichi said.

"Hey, you didn't even want to come," Kenji shot back.

"Shut up!" Yusuke said. Keiko gave him a look and held her head in one hand as the people beside and behind them began grumbling.

"Yusuke?" Suichi craned his head around, spotting his old friend. "Since when do you come see _these _movies?"

"Were you brain dead or something when they showed the thing about turning off phones and not talking?" Rikou hissed.

"Since when do you?" Yusuke asked. "Hey, how was Haiti?"

"Shut up!" yelled about a dozen other movie viewers.

"You know, for being thirty-some years old, that guy acts even younger than _us_," Kenji muttered. Takashi nodded.

"Hey!" Yusuke had heard them. "Don't make me throw something else at you!"

"You just proved my point," said the purple-haired boy.

"Yusuke, are you even paying attention to what's going on?" Keiko asked.

"Oh, Yusuke," Suichi said, ignoring the looks Rikou, Takashi, and Kenji- not to mention everyone surrounding them- gave him, "Haiti kind of sucked. I wouldn't recommend it."

"_Shut up!"_

* * *

Genkai took a sip of tea and eyed her patient. "Everything appears to be fine," she said.

"You're sure?" asked Kuwabara.

"You ask that every time," the psychic said wearily. "And what do I tell you _every_ time? Your wife's as healthy as ever."

"Better safe than sorry," insisted Kuwabara.

"He's acting like this is your first child all over again," Genkai grumbled to Yukina. "Everything's going as it should be," she said to Kuwabara.

"I could swear her energy feels lower than it should be," he said.

"I'm sure you're imagining things," Genkai replied a little tersely.

"Kazuma," Yukina said, "it's sweet that you're so concerned, but I'm completely fine. You were worried with Yuki and Haku too, remember?" She made her way around Kuwabara, her extending belly brushing against him ever so slightly, and put on the coat he always insisted she wear while outside- though the weather was beginning to warm up. "I don't want to leave the kids with Shiori for too long," she said, stepping outside into the chilly early spring afternoon, dainty feet trying their best to avoid the mud and slush on the ground.

Kuwabara paused at the door. "You're _sure _everything's fine?" he asked the psychic again.

"Yes," replied an annoyed Genkai. "I've done this before, remember? You were present at Yukina's first delivery."

"And the one before that," he added, a meaning tone in his voice.

This was all familiar to the old woman; if possible Kuwabara had behaved even more apprehensive during Yukina's first pregnancy, and almost had to be sedated during the delivery. Genkai knew what made him so wary though. "Does Yukina's energy resemble Kurama's when he was pregnant at all?" she demanded, bringing what she knew was on the carrot-top's mind out in the open.

"Um . . . no."

"Did Koenma's doctors caution the two of you that this might be a risky pregnancy?" As with their pregnancy six years prior, Kuwabara and Yukina had first gone to see the same oni doctor who had confirmed Kurama's condition over a decade before.

". . . No."

"Is Yukina depressed, malnourished, or in any other way ill?"

"No."

"And despite all your worry _last _time, did anything go wrong?"

"No," Kuwabara answered again, realizing how ridiculous he must be acting.

"You two will be fine. Now, will I have to give you this speech again next time?"

"Kazuma," called an impatient Yukina. "I'm not waiting any longer."

"Um, coming!" he replied. "Okay, I get it," he said to the psychic. "I'll _try _to be less paranoid. Bye." He waved, and then rushed outside to join his wife.

* * *

"Don't touch that," warned Rikou while Yukina and Haku thoughtfully eyed a sinister-looking marionette hanging from their cousin's ceiling. She shifted position on her bed, copying down a problem from her algebra book.

"Ow!" exclaimed Yuki. The marionette, encouraged by two pairs of five-year-old hands, had swung backward, and then forward, hitting the girl in the forehead.

"I told you not to touch that," said Rikou. "And get off that chair." Haku and Yuki did, eying the still-swinging puppet suspiciously.

"You two come downstairs with me," said Shiori from the doorway. "Your parents are coming to pick you up." The twins darted out the room and toward the stairs. "Be careful! I don't want either of you falling."

Rikou opted to take a break from her schoolwork and followed her grandmother and cousins. Aside from the children, Shiori and she were the only ones home in the Hatanaka-Jaganshi-Minamino house. Kazuya had gone grocery shopping, Suichi was out visiting old friends, and Takashi was over at Kenji's house. Shiori set up Yuki and Haku with a snack at the table, and looked over at Rikou. "Is that math hard?" she asked, referring to the homework Rikou had been doing.

Aqua-streaked black hair shifted from the side to side as Rikou shook her head. "Algebra's easy enough," she said. "It's geometry that makes me have to think once in a while."

"Algebra was never my strongest point," Shiori said, taking the tea kettle off the stove. The afternoon sunlight streamed in from the front kitchen windows, gleaming on dark hair accented with more gray than it was several years before, and a face marked with a few more fine lines and wrinkles. Rikou wagered that being ill to the point of having almost died once- combined with several other incidences occurring only a few years afterward- probably aged a part of the woman prematurely. However, compared to some other women her age and considering the face that she had never undergone any superficial procedures or surgeries, Shiori looked fairly good.

"What was your strong point?" asked Rikou.

"Literature. Art."

"No wonder you get along with Kaito so well."

Shiori smiled. "His strong point was science," she said absently, sipping her tea.

"Kaito?" Rikou asked, confused, before realizing who her grandmother was talking about. "Oh. I thought _everything _was his strong point."

She laughed a little. "Well, yes . . . but I think biology was his favorite subject."

Rikou made a face behind Shiori's back. She liked plants and all but despised microscopes and other such matters she deemed rather tedious; she would prefer learning more about the actual plant and its users and care than spending the entirety of a week or two devoted to the memorization of mitochondria and ribosomes and other unpractical things she held no use for. "Takashi likes biology," she offered.

"It helps to like what you're good at," Shiori mused.

"I think he likes dissecting things," Rikou said. Shiori laughed and said something about typical teenage boy behavior. "At least then you don't have to do any of the dirty work, huh?"

She shrugged. "Kenji's usually his lab partner."

That fact didn't surprise Shiori in the least. Her grandson and Kenji Kazuno had been friends since early in their elementary school careers, and were by now as close as brothers- or perhaps that was an incorrect term for their bond . . . . This had been a small joke among the two families- theirs and Kenji's- for a few years, but sometimes she still questioned how much was really a joke, or if she was looking too deep into absolutely nothing. "Kenji must be grateful he doesn't have to cut anything up."

"I don't think Kenji's eaten much lunch at all this year," Rikou replied. One of the drawbacks to having biology before- and after- lunch. "Takashi likes to butcher their victims." A rather messy sight.

Shiori winced internally at her granddaughter's choice of words but died well to conceal her discomfort. "Typical teenage boy behavior," she murmured. She'd seen more of it raising children her second time around than she had the first. Her step-son Suichi and her grandson Takashi had been or were typical teenage boys; her biological son Suichi, or Kurama, had not been so much.

A knock was heard at the front door and Rikou looked out the kitchen window. "Yukina and Kuwabara," she told her grandmother. Shiori nodded and herded Haku and Yuki toward the front of the house while Rikou located their coats.

* * *

Yusuke rolled over in bed and cracked open his eyes slightly, wondering, since his bladder was empty and Keiko wasn't kicking him, why he was awake in the middle of the night. The answer came in the form of a dull thudding noise: Somebody knocking on the front door. "Gonna kill . . ." he muttered, trying not to wake Keiko as he left the bed and staggered downstairs.

"What the hell . . . ?" the man began irritably, half-expecting to find a Kuwabara gone berserk because Yukina had insomnia or indigestion or back pain, or an intoxicated Atsuko unable to make it home to her own bed- though such incidences of the latter manner occurred less and less as time went by. However, Yusuke found neither of these scenarios waiting for him on his porch. "Huh!" he managed, eying the door-knocker in bewilderment.

"Yusuke, may I come in?" Botan asked, trying to sound courteous, a frightened tone of voice betraying her.

"Is that blood?" Yusuke exclaimed, noticing a dry, dark substance under her nose. "What happened?"

The ferry-girl had already made her way inside and was leaning against the couch. She was wearing the same pale pink kimono she had when Yusuke first met her when he had temporarily died at the age of fourteen, but it and her periwinkle-colored hair were in frenzied disarray. "We've got problems, Yusuke," she announced in a tone quite unlike the peppy one custom to her. She allowed her form to fall gracelessly onto a couch cushion. "We've got huge, _serious _problems."

"_You _might," Yusuke joked, sitting down in a chair across from her.

Botan gave him a look, and he immediately sobered. Yusuke remembered seeing this look a handful of times- either one or more of the three worlds was in danger, or someone they were close to was dead or dying.

"What's up?" he asked, fully awake and focused now.


	4. Chapter IV

_Comrades, this story's exposition is drawing to a close, and I promise that from hereon out things will start to build up and take off, um, if that makes sense. Sorry for this chapter's length, or lack thereof, but I'm glad that you all seem to be enjoying it so far._

_Kyo Hana, I finished the last episode! (I'm sure you're missing your DVDs and are glad to hear that.) Good ending, I thought- and was it just me, or was Kurama kind of flirting with Hiei in the second-to-last episode? I watched that part both in English and then Japanese with the subtitles, and that was the conclusion I was drawing . . ._

* * *

Jagamino  
Chapter 4  
January 23, 2006

"I think you've lost weight since taking that class," Rikou observed as Kenji Kazuno sat down, lacking a lunch tray and looking a little green.

Kenji shrugged. "That Takashi Jagamino weight loss plan works miracles, I guess." He glanced over at the aforementioned "weight loss plan"- who was eating and apparently was not paying either of them any attention. The purple-haired boy turned a shade greener. "How . . . ?"

"Strong stomach," Tohru Yamamoto offered. "You know, this mental image of Takashi came to me last night- shut it, you pervert," he added as a wry-looking Rikou began to open her mouth. "Anyways, I was watching one of those detective-type shows last night, and there was this coroner they talked to, you see, and while they're talking the coroner's eating his lunch on the same table the cadaver's-" He broke off, seeing Kenji's current complexion.

Takashi looked up from his lunch. "Hey Kenji, are you okay? You're the same color as that frog."

Grey eyes squeezed shut; Kenji groaned and laid his head on the table. "You are dense, Takashi," he mumbled. "_So _dense."

The redhead donned a confused expression. "Huh?" Kenji groaned again and buried his face in a pillow formed from his arms.

"What's wrong, Kazuno?" Buma taunted from the next table over. "Your boyfriend just break up with you?"

"You didn't tell me we were dating!" Takashi exclaimed to an unresponsive Kenji.

"Sorry you had your hopes up," Rikou retorted to Buma. "We all know you were waiting for a chance to bang Kenji."

"Isn't your uncle the gynecologist visiting?" Buma sneered. "Maybe he ought to have a look at that sand in your vagina!"

"You're just jealous because my penis is bigger than yours," Rikou accused. Tohru and Takashi choked on their food while laughing; Kenji peeked up, one eyebrow raised. Buma gave Rikou a weird look but turned around instead of trying another insult.

Tohru shook his head, tears of laughter still rolling down his cheeks. "This is getting too weird," he muttered, standing up. "I'm out of here. Later, Flamer," he said to Takashi. And, throwing a grin in Kenji's direction, he added, "See you in Biology, Purple Pride." Kenji made a rude gesture at Tohru's retreating back.

"Gross!" Rikou said. "Don't look," she warned Kenji, but it was too late.

Takashi had eaten his fill, and was now mashing the unwanted remnants of his meal together into a nauseating pulp. Kenji made a face. "Bye, Jagaminos; I think I'll go throw up."

"Hey," Takashi said to his sister after Kenji had gone. "You don't think he's gone anorexic, do you?" His expression betrayed slight concern over the matter.

"You're dense," Rikou said as she too rose and left him.

* * *

"This is pretty big, huh?" Kuwabara managed.

"Well, yeah," Yusuke said. "Koenma hasn't come to us for anything- anything major, I mean- for a long time." Of course, there was the occasional renegade demon that slipped into the human world in search of trouble, but such pests were made quick work of. The last significant service the former tanteis had performed for the officials in the spirit world was the awry Mushiyori Butcher incident. "You should have seen Botan," he continued. "This is big."

Kuwabara stroked his thin, honey-colored beard thoughtfully, his other hand petting the head of the now-ancient Eikichi. "What are we supposed to do now?" he asked Yusuke.

The brunette cracked his knuckles, lips pursed. "Botan told me to keep an eye out for anything peculiar." This was no hard task; his job as Spirit Detective had made it almost second nature. He leaned back in his chair, picking at the animal hairs scattered all over his clothing; he hadn't even touched any of Kuwabara's charges. "Do you ever vacuum in here?" he demanded.

"Only if the kids are here; Yukina hates it when they come home with fur in their mouths."

"How is she doing?"

"Fine. She yelled at me this morning for squeezing the toothpaste tube wrong." He laughed a little, and then grew serious again. "How _was _Botan?"

"Not her best," Yusuke replied. "Kind of beat up. She looked scared."

* * *

"What's going on?" Yusuke asked, staring at Botan's haggard appearance. He hadn't seen his friend recently until now, and this late-night visit was more than a little shocking.

The ferry-girl fiddled with a stray piece of hair from her ponytail. "Someone attacked our offices in Spirit World," she answered.

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "Did they take anything?"

"Various files and artifacts," she said.

". . . Do you know who it was?"

She shook her head. "They have us puzzled. . . . The stolen artifacts included the three from the vault."

It took Yusuke a moment to realize what she was talking about. And then he remembered- the Orb of Baast, the Forlorn Hope, and the Shadow Sword- the same powerful items stolen eighteen years prior by Gouki, Hiei, and Kurama. Yusuke was the one sent to retrieve them last time. "What now?"

"Everyone in Spirit World is working to find more; until then, we're alerting the leaders in Demon World and everyone in Human World who has been involved in past Spirit World affairs."

"Right." If the thief had infiltrated the Spirit World, it was an almost given that one or both of the remaining worlds would be targeted. "I'll spread the word."


	5. Chapter V

Jagamino  
Chapter 5  
February 4, 2006

"Green."

"No."

"I don't mean _lime_ green or anything- something darkish- hunter green, maybe."

"No green," Kenji said firmly.

"Fine then; blue."

"No- Well, maybe navy . . . We'll put navy in the 'Maybe' category."

"Maybe navy . . ." Takashi echoed. "What about black?"

"Do I look like some useless emo snot to you?" the purple-haired boy demanded.

Takashi shrugged. "You could go Goth."

"Uh . . . no."

"Okay." The redhead smirked. "I've got it: Pink."

"Yeah . . . we're done here," Kenji announced, deserting Takashi in the hair dye section.

"Oh, come on! You know I was kidding!" He hurriedly followed Kenji out of the store. "You know, I like your hair the color it is now," he said.

"Yeah, well they aren't calling _you _Purple Pride, are they?"

"_No; _I'm Flamer, remember?" They turned the corner onto the residential street Kenji lived on. "You could always be a brunette again," he suggested.

Kenji shrugged. "I don't want to look like everyone else. What?" Takashi had begun to laugh.

"You want to look different, but you want to change your hair because of what people say?" He laughed again. "Hey, I guess you'd fit in with those emo and gothic-wannabe posers after all- _What?_" Kenji was giving him a dark look. "I'm just telling it how it is, hypocrite."

Kenji rolled his eyes. "I don't have to explain myself to you," he muttered, opening the door and letting Takashi enter first. "We're home," he announced, shutting the door behind him.

Mrs. Kazuno appeared from the sitting room. "Where have you been?" she asked Kenji. "Hello, Takashi."

"Hello," the redhead replied. He looked around. "You guys rearranged stuff."

"Youth group is here tonight," she explained. "Want to come?"

"Sure," he said, "I'll just have to let my grandparents know."

"We were at the store," Kenji said.

"Yeah," Takashi affirmed. "Your son is picky when it comes to hair dye."

"What's wrong with purple?" Kenji's mother asked.

"Ask the Flamer." She gave him a startled look.

"He means me," Takashi explained. "That's my nickname at school; his is Purple Pride."

"Oh." She rolled her eyes as though she too were a child. "Kenji, you really shouldn't let those kids get to you. Their attempt to devalue anybody not like them says more about them than it does about you."

Kenji let out an annoyed groan. "I'm _not _gay, Mom."

"I never said you were!" she said hastily, while Takashi began to laugh. Takashi had witnessed in amusement similar exchanges in the Kazuno house, while Kenji complained about them. A few years prior, Mr. and Mrs. Kazuno began to suspect, for reasons unknown to Kenji and Takashi, that their son might be gay (Takashi agreed; Kenji opposed with a zealous passion) and had since then made a mission of subtly informing Kenji that they accepted it. Unfortunately, subtleness was neither parent's specialty, and Kenji grumbled about their statements, hints, and occasional questions, weekly.

The redhead would simply laugh at Kenji and his complaints; he thought the Kazunos were great. Mr. Kazuno was a professor of religious studies at the local university, and Mrs. Kazuno headed many of the activities at the church the family attended. Though not a Christian himself, Takashi enjoyed attending the various events and youth group, having gone to such things practically as long as Kenji had. Kenji's family was Takashi's second family, and he loved them to death.

"Shut up," Kenji told Takashi, who was still laughing and whose side had begun to hurt.

"You don't own me," he retorted playfully, following Kenji down the hall to his room. "Oh hey, you did feng shui in here too," he said, surveying the area.

"Yeah; it looks bigger now, huh?"

"You ought to do my room next," he replied, falling onto the purple-haired boy's bed.

Kenji snorted. "Right. I wouldn't go near that room with a ten-foot vacuum, Potato Head."

Takashi laughed at the old nickname. My room's not _that _dirty," he protested.

"Please- you're one dirty sock away from an outbreak of bubonic plague." The redhead blew him a raspberry. "Oh, that's real mature."

"Coming from the guy who compared people's appendages to vegetables, Purple Pride." Suddenly his eyes lit up, and a grin spread over his face that made Kenji wary. "From now on, Kenji dearest, I'm going to call you Cucumber Co-"

"Can it, Flamer!" Kenji chucked a pillow at Takashi, who chucked it back, and soon anything that could fly through the air without running the risk of breaking anything, was. "Ow!" Kenji exclaimed as a pillow hit him square in the face. "You're dead!"

"Rape!" Takashi yelped as Kenji tackled him. He play-struggled with Kenji for a moment or two, and then submitted. "Fine," he panted, "do what you will . . . But be gentle!"

"Purple Pride" laughed, surprised by how throaty his voice sounded. "You're pathetic," he said, still on top of Takashi.

"Shut up," Takashi retorted, wriggling underneath Kenji, trying to free himself. However, while doing so, he must have brushed against _something_, as a strange sensation shot through both boys. Kenji shuddered, though not in an unpleasant way, and his eyes acquired an odd, glazed look to them.

Red eyes squinted in slight confusion when Kenji didn't move, and then widened when purple hair blanketed his face, and something soft brushed against his lips. Takashi shifted a little.

This slight movement seemed to have an effect on Kenji, as he apparently became more aware of what he was doing. He immediately pulled away, staring at Takashi, who mutely stared back. This staring match lasted for several moments, and then the redhead spoke up. "Um, want to go watch T.V.?"

"T.V. sounds good," Kenji replied quickly, nodding his head vigorously. The two boys immediately left the room, not exchanging a word about what had just transpired.

* * *

"So, they have some information?" Yusuke asked.

"That's what Botan told me this morning," Genkai replied. "Are you coming in or not?"

"Yeah . . . Give me a minute," he said, holding up the bundle clutched in his hand. The psychic nodded, disappearing inside the temple.

Yusuke walked to the west side of the temple. Here grew a large Sakura tree, buds beginning to appear on the otherwise naked branches. Sunlight fell through the branches, landing on a series of sticks that would in the spring come alive with green leaves and red roses, climbing up a white trellis that spread out behind a pair of black stone markers.

"Hey guys," he said, laying his flowers between the two graves. The ground here had been turned recently, he noticed. The dead weeds and such were gone; sticks of incense, long burnt out, had been planted in the ground in front of each tombstone, as though someone had said a prayer. Another, slightly wilted bundle of flowers lay in front of the markers, their bright colors contrasting against the darkness of soil and stone. Someone had gone over the characters in white, making it stand out from black marble.

Someone must have done maintenance on them recently, he thought. Maybe Takashi and Rikou, but probably Shiori or Yukina. Each woman came to visit the pair of graves, usually weekly. Sometimes they would come together. Yusuke thought it fitting in a way- they each had someone close to them in the ground- someone who had been deceitful, but out of love.

"Hello, Yusuke."

He turned, and raised an eyebrow; his old boss had appeared. Koenma was in his mature form, donned up in his purple and red frock. As always, a pacifier stuck out of his mouth, adding a comic detail to his otherwise serious, current composure.

"Long time no see," he said, stepping away from Hiei and Kurama's graves. "I hear you have a burglar problem."

* * *

A/N: When first talking about this story, while I was still working on "The Wrong Turns & Detours of Love", the talented Mr. Fine (miss him!) told me, and I quote, "Does jagamino stands for 'jaganshi minamino' ? XD That's neat, but, it kind of too close to jagaimo Japanese word for potato. So 'jagamino' might sounds unappealing for native Japanese or they who are learning Japanese." So, keeping that in mind, I incorporated it into a joke- the nickname "Potato Head"- between Kenji and Takashi in the story. 


	6. Chapter VI

_The other site is currently moving, I think, and authors are not capable of updating until the first of next month at the least. So here's your permission to feel special now- this will be the first time I'll have posted chapters here that have yet to be posted on the other site. Especially considering how I began posting all my stories on the other site before this site (not because of any favoritism or anything- more like technological hindrances that delayed my ability to post chapters here for a while)- bask in this special feeling! _

_Anyways, here is the chapter where everything takes a turn from which there is no going back. Kind of like in Chapter 3 of "The Wrong Turns & Detours of Love", but also different from it; you'll see._

* * *

Jagamino  
Chapter 6  
February 18, 2006

Genkai was there, along with Kuwabara and Botan- who looked considerably better than when Yusuke last saw her. "What's going on, Koenma?" Kuwabara asked.

Koenma cleared his throat. "As you already know, our offices were attacked a few months ago. Though we're still learning more about the thief, we have the basics covered. We believe that she-"

"She?" Kuwabara asked.

"Why do you sound so surprised?" Botan asked warily, eyebrow raised.

"Don't make this a battle of the sexes!" Genkai snapped, silencing both of them.

"_She_," Koenma continued, "is a demon who goes by the name Ukime-"

"Hey Kuwabara, looks like you'll have to revise that part of your honor code about not hitting girls," Yusuke said.

"Ha . . . ha . . ." Kuwabara replied.

"And we're concerned that her agenda, if you will," Koenma continued in a louder voice, "may include the liberation of the spirit world." He received identical blank looks. "That is, make it so that souls would be able to return to the living world without Spirit World authorization."

"So people could come back from the dead?" Yusuke asked. "That doesn't sound too bad."

"Are you an idiot?" Kuwabara demanded. "Would you really want all your old enemies to come back to life?" Yusuke brightened. "Don't answer that," he said.

Yusuke ignored the request. "Why not? I wouldn't mind fightig them all again."

"You dolt," Genkai said. "You're not thinking of the consequences. Souls may try to return to bodies that have decayed or been destroyed."

"Think of past tyrants coming alive again, both demon and human," Koenma said. "Chaos would be inevitable. Who knows how many innocent people would die? You wouldn't be able to handle all of that; I doubt any of us could."

"Fine . . ." Yusuke rolled his eyes. "So what do you want us to do, arrest her?"

"Maybe, once we know enough about her and her whereabouts," Koenma replied. "She may have a following helping her, and we know all too well from what she stole- or, perhaps, had stolen for her- that she's well-equipped . . ." He trailed into silence for several moments before he spoke again. "Which is why I'm bringing in additional help. I already have people in the Makai, and you'll be receiving assistance in a week."

"_What?" _Yusuke exclaimed. "_Come on! _We've done fine every other tim; we don't need help!"

"I believe you're exaggerating slightly," Koenma muttered. "Besides, you . . . have less people now than you did back then." He cleared his throat again. "You _will _cooperate with the help," he continued, ignoring Yusuke's glowering. "No arguments."

* * *

"So, are you going to that little get-together tomorrow to meet the newbies from Spirit World?" Rikou asked.

"No," Shizuru replied, taking a bite of her dessert. "Are you?"

"_Why?_" Takashi asked. "We don't have anything to do with Spirit or Demon World stuff."

Rikou raised an eyebrow. "Did you forget about training with Genkai last summer? Spring break? _Last week?_"

"I . . . try to block it out," he muttered. ". . . mean old lady . . ."

"So you don't have any interest in the demon world?" their "aunt" asked.

"Not particularly," Takashi said. "Mukuro's invitation is nice and all, but I don't plan to move anytime soon."

Years before, when Rikou and Takashi were only infants, their father's boss Mukuro had said that should the twins choose a demonic path, and were capable, they were welcome in her lands. Takashi had never personally met the warlord, and wagered that he never would; he liked being a demon, but did not entertain the idea of a life surrounded only by demons with much enthusiasm. Uniformity was boring, bland.

"Besides," he continued, "do you really think our grandmother would allow us to? Go to the get-together, I mean," he amended- though Shizuru highly doubted that Shiori would be ecstatic over the idea of one or both of her grandchildren immigrating to the world her son had come from.

"Good point," Shizuru said. Shiori, understandably, was wary of anything pertaining to the spirit or demon worlds, expressing little interest in this current matter either. She pulled out her wallet and began removing money to pay for their meal.

"What are you doing?" Takashi asked, eyeing the money.

"I told you guys I was going to pay," she said, laying it on the table.

"Well put it back; I'm paying."

"Takashi, you don't even have a job," Rikou said. "You're broke."

"I am a _man_," he said, "and a _man _takes care of his lady friends."

"You hang out with my brother too much," Shizuru muttered. "_Men _don't attend high school and get beat up by girls," she told him.

"That was _weeks _ago!"

"I'm paying," she said. "Get over it."

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, _Mother_."

"Oh _hell _no," she retorted, while Rikou laughed. "Children like you are the _reason _they invented the pill!"

* * *

"Could I interest you in something to eat?" Koenma asked.

The one standing in front of Koenma's desk looked to his partner by the door, who shook his head. "We're fine," he answered.

"I could send Ogre to get you a drink."

"How generous of him," Koenma's guest remarked, glancing over at Jorge with an amused smile. "But no, thank you."

"Fine. In that case, Ogre!" Jorge snapped to attention. "I want a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, and a soda."

"Um, right away, Sir," Jorge said, earning a sympathetic look from the third party as he left.

Koenma withdrew a large purse and set it on his desk. "Currency from the human world," he explained. "I'd suggest you acquaint yourself with their current events, to make yourselves stand out less."

"If possible . . ." he said softly. "Of course," he continued, louder, taking the money. "When do you want us to meet them?" Koenma told him the time and, scribbling something on a scrap of paper, gave it to him. He took it, and nodded. "We'll be in touch soon," he said, turning and leaving with his partner.

* * *

"That looks like a crappy movie," Rikou commented, flipping channels. "How many of those movies do you think they'll make about the dumb girl alone in the house, being stalked by the psycho on the phone?"

"The cinema likes redundancy," Suichi replied, kicking aback in Kazuya's reclining chair.

It had been a rather unproductive afternoon. Shiori and Kazuya had gone to a nursery in search of plants to add to this year's garden. Suichi had only gotten up an hour before and had lounged about the house ever since, soon joined by Rikou, Takashi, and Kenji after school let out. The heat, exceptional for a May afternoon, left everyone feeling rather drowsy.

"I think I'll move in for the summer," Kenji said. "My parents are too cheap to spring for a new air conditioner."

Rikou raised an eyebrow. "We don't have . . ." She trailed off, glancing at Suichi, who mouthed "Takashi." She nodded- Kenji lay on one end of the couch, Takashi on the other. The redhead was his own cooler, and on hot days it was beneficial to sit close to him.

"Rikou, get the door," Suichi whined as he hard the sound of a fist knocking on wood.

"You get it," she groaned. "I don't have any shoes on."

"Well neither do I."

"Why does someone need shoes to answer the door?" Kenji wondered, stretching. His leg brushed against Takaashi's, and both boys started ever so lsightly. He quickly adopted a less sprawled position, putting space between himself and the redhead.

"They're lazy," Takashi answered nonchalantly, ignoring what had just happened.

"Thanks for volunteering, Takashi," Suichi said.

_"Huh?" _he protested. And then he looked hopeuflly at his couchmate. "Kenji . . . ?"

"It's your house, Flamer."

"Oh screw you!" he retorted, getting up and trudging to the door. His eyes widened when he answered it. "No, please, anything but that . . ."

"They'll be with you until late, depending," Yukina said as Haku and Yuki darted into the house. "But of course your grandparents already know that."

Takashi groaned. "Can't they destroy _your _house like usual?"

"Hey," Kuwabara objected, "those two are neat obsessive-compulsive neat freaks compared to _you _at that . . . Well, any age, actually."

"Oh, I'm hurt!" Takashi exclaimed, clutching his chest.

Yukina furrowed her brow. "Your heart's on the _left _side, Takashi," she said.

"Huh . . . ? Oh, right." He quickly corrected himself.

"Besides," Kuwabara continued, "I don't want- Is Kenji here?" he asked in a low voice. Takashi nodded. "We don't want them there when the . . . _company _shows up."

"Right . . . We wouldn't want them frightening off the new guys."

"If we wanted to do that," Yukina said in a sugary-sweet voice, "we'd simply have _you _great them."

Her tone, which would have fooled most others, made him apprehensive. ". . . Yeah. Have fun with the company." He ducked back into the house, closing the door behind him. "They'll be lucky if _she _doesn't scare them away," he declared, reentering the living room. "Hey! That's my spot!"

Kenji eyed his friend's cousins, now sitting contentedly at his feet and giggling at Takashi. "It's their spot now," he said lazily.

"So, Kenji, what's with the new hair color?" Suichi asked boredly, watching Yuki climb over Kenji to touch his now navy-colored hair.

He cocked an eyebrow at the little girl tugging at his hair. "What do you find so fascinating?" he asked her, holding a piece of her aqua hair between two fingers. "Your hair's just as strange, and yours is _natural_, you little mutant." He smiled as Yuki erupted into giggles. "I'm . . . redefining myself," he said to Suichi.

"Yeah," Takashi muttered, lying on the floor. "Right."

"You're always going to be Purple Pride to us, Kenji," Rikou said, smirking as he glared at her.

* * *

"Would you like some?" Yukina asked.

"Uh . . . no, thanks," Yusuke stated, giving her a weak smile. "I prefer having caramel with apples instead of pickles, but that's just me." He craned his neck, trying to see the time. "Koenma's hot shots are taking _forever_," he complained.

"How do you know they're hot shots?" Keiko demanded. "You've never met them."

"Urameshi's just pissed becayuse Koenma doesn't think he can do this on his own," Kuwabara said.

* * *

"Are we sure this is the correct home?" he asked, surveying Kuwabara's yard and house.

"It's the address Koenma gave us, isn't it?" his companion replied, handing him the piece of paper so he could see for himself.

He eyed the paper. "Yes," he murmured. "Shall we?" he asked, even as his partner approached the gate.

* * *

"Hey, Yukina," Kuwabara said, getting off the phone. "Shiori said that Yuki and Haku just went to sleep; they tired out chasing Takashi and Kenji around."

"That's good," the Koorime replied, resting her feet on the coffee table. She jumped a little when the doorbell rang.

"That'd be the hotshots," Yusuke announced as he and Kuwabara simultaneously rose.

"Remember, Yusuke," Keiko called after him, "they're here to _help_, so don't be a jerk."

"When am I ever a jerk?" he demanded. Kuwabara began to cough. "Shut up." He looked through the door's peep-hole, but could only make out the silhouette of the visitor. "Hey, new guys," he said as he opened the door, "you'd better wipe the mud off your feet- my good friend's wife might flip-"

"Don't worry," their visitor said. "We did."

Yusuke could only stare, speechless.

The "new guys" stood on Kuwabara's porch, in out of the light rain that had begun. One hovered near the steps, a bored look on his face. The other calmly observed Yusuke and Kuwabara, lips curling into a small, amused smile.

"Y-You . . ." Kuwabara finally managed.

The figure in the background snorted. "I see the haze of stupidity hasn't lifted."

Yusuke swallowed, opening and closing his mouth several times. "Uh . . ."

The other one laughed a little, clasping Yusuke's hands within his own. "It's good to see you two again," Kurama said.

* * *

_I did not realize this initially, but as it turns out, the first time Yusuke meets Hiei and Kurama in the series is at the end of the 6th episode. Interesting coincidence, huh? I've seen such coincidences with subject matter and numbers only one other time in my stories- in "Yu Yu Hakusho Inversed" Yoko/Kurama was an alcoholic and there were 21 chapters- the same number of years one has to be (in the U.S., at least) before one may legally drink. Yes, rather useless knowledge, but I still find it interesting._

_And now, of course, the story has taken a very interesting, and I hope pleasant, turn. I already have drafts written up for the next chapter or two, and while I can't make any promises, I do hope to have the next chapter up soon- because hey, this would be too cruel a place to leave off while going on a hiatus of sorts, right?_


	7. Chapter VII

Jagamino  
Chapter 7  
March 21, 2006

It took Yusuke a full minute to recover. _"Holy shit!" _he exclaimed at the top of his lungs, wrapping Kurama in a tight embrace.

"So _you're _the 'help' Koenma sent us!" Kuwabara said, watching Yusuke crush the Fox.

_"Clearly,"_ Hiei muttered, eyeing Yusuke disdainfully while he made a fool of himself.

Kurama resisted the urge to massage his rib cage when Yusuke finally let go to look him over, and grinning stupidly, commented how Kurama looked thinner. To which the Fox replied, "I should hope so," as he had been approximately fifty-five pounds heavier and resembling a slightly deflated beach ball when last the two had met- Not the sort of look he generally labeled attractive.

"But," Yusuke added, his surprise-induced high subsiding slightly, "how-?"

"We'll explain," Kurama promised, though the expression Hiei wore behind him clearly stated that Kurama alone would explain. "Kuwabara, you are married now?" Yusuke's earlier reference to Kuwabara's wife had not gone over his head.

"Oh yeah," the carrot-top replied enthusiastically. "To Yukina."

"I'm not surprised," Kurama said, smiling warmly. "Anyone would have seen that coming. Wouldn't you agree, Hiei?"

Hiei did not answer, opting instead to glare at his spouse, knowing that the redhead was currently wearing a smirk. 'You're not funny,' he informed Kurama, privately, within their own two minds.

The Fox ignored him. "When did you two marry?" he asked Kuwabara, craving to know what his friends had been doing for the past decade and a half, but also knowing he could not ask everyone everything all at once.

"We got married a few years after you . . . After Rikou and Takashi were born." Kurama's eyes flashed momentarily at the mention of his offspring's names; however, Kuwabara and Yusuke- and Hiei, as the Koorime was standing behind him and consequently could not see his face- did not notice.

"Yeah, and they go at it so much it's a wonder they don't have more children than they do," Yusuke added, relishing the expression that immediately darkened Hiei's face.

"Quit making us sound like rabbits, Urameshi!" Kuwabara growled, even if what Yusuke said was- though Kuwabara would deny it until he was hoarse- for the most part true.

"Children?" Kurama repeated.

"Twins," the carrot-top said. "Yuki and Haku. And Yukina's-"

"Kazuma, do you know if we have any-?" Yukina, having come to the door, stopped mid-sentence when she saw Kuwabara and Yusuke's companions. She turned several shades paler, her coloring quickly going from that of milk to a hue resembling a brand new sheet of paper.

"Um, Yukina . . ." Kuwabara trailed off as she marched past him, and suddenly flung herself at Hiei, making a living medallion of herself, fastened tightly around the Jaganshi's neck and sobbing hysterically. Her tears solidified and made a clattering noise as they hit the planks of the porch and scattered like marbles; Hiei's feet slid on the perfectly rounded gems and he fell backwards, but caught the railing clumsily and managed to steady himself. "I didn't let her fall!" he hissed at Kuwabara, who had swiftly approached the swaying siblings anxiously. Hiei redirected his glare to include Kurama, too, who had reacted similar to Kuwabara, but more out of the concern that Hiei might fall and crack his skull.

"What's going- _Kurama!"_ The unfortunate Fox caught only a moment's flash of blue before the breath was crushed out of him as Botan wrapped her arms around him tighter than a corset.

"It's . . . good to see you, too . . . Botan," he gasped, smiling painfully at the ferry-girl, who was almost crying. "Botan . . . please don't take offense . . . but I can't breathe."

"Oh!" She promptly let go, grinning sheepishly as he inhaled deeply.

"What's going on?" Keiko asked slowly, watching the spectacle.

"Oh, hey Keiko," Yusuke said. "Turns out I do know the help after all."

"I see . . ." Keiko murmured, watching their previously-deceased friends with tears in her eyes but restraining the urge to affectionately crush them like the others had. "How?"

"They haven't gotten to that part yet," Yusuke said. "Kuwabara, is she going to be okay?" Yukina was still bawling.

"She's fine," the carrot-top told him, not looking the least bit worried.

"I'd wager the hormones are contributing to it," Kurama said, having noticed Yukina's thickened waist. "I cried all the time, almost."

"You were also depressed," Yusuke could not help but add. He immediately regretted it- Botan yelled at him, Keiko slapped him, and Kuwabara retorted that Yukina's mentality was perfectly healthy. Kurama, however, did not seem remotely offended, murmuring in a thoughtful voice that Yusuke did have a point.

"I suppose you would all like an explanation?" he inquired.

They had convened themselves in Kuwabara and Yukina's living room. Botan, Keiko, and Yusuke sat on one couch, the remaining two couples sat on the one opposite. Yukina still clung to Hiei, who looked slightly uncomfortable with this arrangement but tolerated it.

"Koenma asked us if we were willing to return," Kurama began.

_"What!" _Botan shouted angrily.

"He told us about the demon Ukime," the redhead continued, ignoring Botan's outburst. "He thought that, dead or alive, Hiei and I were best qualified to help."

"How come _I _didn't know?" the ferry-girl demanded.

"A woman named Ayame retrieved us from the Land of the Dead," Kurama supplied, wincing and rubbing his temples when she began screaming. "I'm sure you were busy with another task-"

"After all," she ranted angrily, _"I'm _the one who took both of you over the Divide! He could have at least _told _me he was reviving you two-"

"But your bodies," Yusuke said, leaning over and examining him closely. "How could he revive you after this much time?"

"We weren't revived in the same manner as you were, Yusuke," Kurama told him. "You were returned to your original body. Ours- most, at least- are still buried beneath the Sakura."

He received several confused stares. "What do you mean, _most?"_ Keiko asked.

"Koenma had pieces extracted," he answered. "About two months ago."

"What?" Yusuke asked weakly. Suddenly he remembered the state of the graves last time he visited them, how the ground looked disturbed, as though turned . . .

"You mean . . . He had you dug up?" Kuwabara pulled a face.

"It's only bone and a little flesh still," Kurama said with a shrug. "Koenma meant no disrespect. Specimens were required to begin the regeneration process. Observe." He pulled up his sleeve and extended his lower arm.

Yusuke stared. "What am I supposed to see?"

"That's just it, you don't see anything."

"Uh . . . I don't get it."

"Wait," Kuwabara said as it dawned on him. "Your scars are gone."

"What scars?" Hiei asked sharply.

"Oh yeah," Yusuke said, remembering now- it seemed so long ago- that soon after Hiei's death, Kurama, during the examination that would diagnose his pregnancy, had at the orders of Koenma's doctor bared his arms and, to their horror, revealed the mutilated fruit of his grief. "So . . . _everything _is gone?" He was thinking of another disturbing time when he had seen the remnants of the sadistic acts performed by a creature that called itself the Mushiyori Butcher.

"Yes," Kurama affirmed, an image of the Butcher's face flashing through his mind too. "Cuts, burns- any sort of scar, really." He smiled wryly. "Stretch marks and- as you noticed earlier, Yusuke- baby weight, too."

"Lucky!" Yukina exclaimed, glaring at him jealously.

"Similarly, Hiei's chest is no longer ruptured," Kurama continued, running one hand over the aforementioned body part and pulling down Hiei's collar to expose the flesh there. (Hiei narrowed his eyes, but allowed it.) "As you can see."

Everyone nodded, still adjusting to seeing the pair alive. "Do you two have anyplace to stay?" Keiko asked.

"We checked into a hotel this afternoon," Kurama answered.

"Hey," Kuwabara said, "does your mom-?"

"No," the redhead interrupted. "Not yet." To his friends' surprise, he did not ask as to how Shiori was, or anyone else in his family, for that matter. Yusuke was about to supply this information anyhow, when suddenly Kurama looked around and said, "Kuwabara, Yukina, where are your children?" He had just noticed that for a home containing two five-year-olds, it was astonishingly quiet.

"They're . . . at your house, actually."

"Kuwabara, I haven't lived in that house for sixteen years," Kurama said quietly.

"Well, I have to pick them up anyhow. I could drop you guys off at wherever you're staying."

The Fox shook his head. "No, thank you. I'd rather walk; reacquaint myself with the city more personally."

This refusal did not sit well with his friends. "No way!" Yusuke said. "What if somebody jumps you or something?"

Kurama ran a hand through his hair, as though frustrated, and then held up something between two fingers. Upon further examination, Yusuke found it to be a seed. "I'm sure we'll be quite fine," he said. He shrugged off further protest, and he and Hiei rose and followed Kuwabara outside, where the others soon joined them.

"Are you sure you don't want a ride?" Kuwabara asked, starting the car. Kurama, speaking for both Hiei and himself, again declined, waving as the carrot-top pulled out of the driveway and disappeared down the street.

"Do you want to meet somewhere tomorrow?" Yusuke asked Kurama.

Kurama glanced at Hiei, who shrugged. "That'd be fine. Do you still own that shop?" He asked this because, like the hotel he had selected, it was a fair distance away from his old neighborhood and would thus (he hoped) lessen the chances of sixteen-years-dead Suichi Minamino being recognized by someone.

"Which one?" Kurama furrowed his brows slightly, not following Yusuke.

"We have a few restaurants around town," Keiko explained. "You want to meet in the one downtown?"

Kurama nodded vaguely, as though he were not all there. "I remember when Yusuke came to me for advice on that," he said absently, holding up her left hand and running his thumb over one of the rings on her wedding finger.

"We've been married for sixteen years," Yusuke said.

"That is a long time," Kurama murmured.

"Our parents were pretty pissed with us; I don't think they talked to us for almost a month."

Kurama quirked an eyebrow, obviously shocked. "Why? Didn't they expect it to happen eventually?"

"Yeah, but they didn't expect us to 'elope'," Keiko said. "We had out first wedding at the temple. We figured there'd be too much to explain to them if they were there."

The redhead nodded thoughtfully. Timeless martial artist women, giant blue phoenixes . . . 'Graves,' he could not help but think, though he supposed that was not an uncommon sight at such places.

"So we had a second wedding," she said, "at that same place your mother had hers."

"That is a lovely place," Kurama said. Still no questions about his family.

Hiei shifted on his feet, wanting to return to their room. He patted Kurama on the butt gently. 'Let's go.'

Yusuke stared at the physical display. He had not known about them until after . . . And when he had briefly seen them together again, Kurama had been so weak and Hiei had been crying, he had had other things on his mind then . . . These displays of romantic affection, even after this much time, would take some getting used to.

'Okay,' Kurama told Hiei. "Is noon tomorrow all right?" he asked. They nodded. "All right then. Good night." Hiei enthusiastically followed, having grown uncomfortable with Yukina staring at him through the window.

"Hey!" Yusuke shouted after them. "Don't get yourselves killed or anything."

"Historically speaking, Yusuke," Kurama called over his shoulder, "that is something we ought to be requesting of _you."_

* * *

Kurama rubbed his side, wincing slightly. "I think Botan might have broken something," he joked. "How's your neck?" Yukina's grip had left bruises.

"What scars were you talking about?" Hiei asked.

"What?"

"Earlier . . . You held out your arm . . ." Hiei mimicked the action. "What scars?"

"Oh." Kurama looked uncomfortable.

"I never saw any scars on your arms," Hiei said. "No major ones, at least."

"That . . . would be because these scars appeared after you . . ." He gestured listlessly with one hand.

"The bastard?"

That was Hiei's favorite term for the Mushiyori Butcher. "No," he said. "I got these before."

"From where?"

"Myself," he answered, after a moment's hesitation. "I . . . dabbled, you could say, after you died." Hiei's face paled ever so slightly. "I suppose I was searching for something I could control- Well, figuratively speaking. It's difficult to maintain control over something that's addictive, especially when you don't care whether you live or die-" He stopped when he realized Hiei had begun to shake. "I did stop, though. Myself is one thing, but when I found out . . ." Kurama shrugged. "One might compare it to when a woman gives up the cigarettes, the nicotine and endorphins that she is so addicted to, for the well-being of her child." He shrugged again.

"Why start a vice like that to begin with?" Hiei grumbled.

"I don't know," Kurama said. "But I don't think a person thinks about those sorts of things when they're depressed and plotting to end their own life."

"Are you _trying _to make me feel bad?" the Koorime growled, obviously upset.

He smiled. "No, I'm not trying to guilt-trip you. You had nothing to do with it." Hiei snorted. "You didn't," Kurama insisted. "It's not as though you bought me the razors and showed me how to cut-" Hiei groaned loudly. "But it doesn't anyway!" Kurama told him. "It was a long time ago."

"You don't do it anymore?" Hiei inquired, scrutinizing him in a manner Kurama found comical.

Hiei was behaving ridiculously, but the Fox thought it best not to tell him that. "No, Hiei. It would be hard to inflict bodily harm on myself if I no longer possess a body to harm, right?"

"You've been congregating with the smart ass too much," Hiei muttered.

Kurama grinned. "But I enjoy the time you and I spend together so much!" he said.

Hiei rolled his eyes. He had meant Kuronue. "To answer your question," he said, gesturing to his neck, "I'll live." His stomach growled. "Are you hungry?" he asked Kurama.

He smiled, having heard Hiei's hunger. "Ravenous."

They ordered room service, and were soon scarfing down their meal. First thing they had done upon arrival to the Ningenkai, before checking into the hotel even, was going out for ice cream (Hiei's idea, surprisingly); both were grateful for real food.

It was awkward, Kurama thought, watching Hiei chow down. 'He should have told me earlier he was hungry,' he thought, before his focus went back to the incident at the restaurant. It was a small establishment, and they sat at a table in the back corner, receiving odd looks from the mother and father of the family sitting the next table over. Their appearing as a couple (there had been the holding of hands and a kiss) had not provoked the staring, and unlike in the past, Hiei was not the cause either- Kurama was. The Fox kept his face turned down and his eyes focused on the grain of the wooden tabletop the entire time, conversing with Hiei in low, nearly inaudible murmurs. It certainly would not surprise him if Suichi Minamino's death was common knowledge; he did not brag, but it was fact that his prodigious traits were as famous as Yusuke's delinquency. He looked not a day over twenty- how old would he have been now, physically? 36? 37?

Koenma practically begged them to return to the Living World. Hiei resisted. Koenma explained how the current crisis with Ukime could result in a collapse of the Divide; Hiei retorted that if that were the case, then they would be able to return to life either way if they wanted to. Koenma argued the chaotic consequences that would result; Hiei said the world was already chaotic, and he could really care less. Koenma said Yusuke and Kuwabara could not possibly work on this alone; Hiei said to let the living worry about the Living World, why didn't he put his Spirit World dogs to work?

Kurama abstained from the discussion, having mixed feelings. He already cheated death once, and knew Hiei was right and Koenma possessed other, living people to perform this task. On the other hand, to say there would be benefits would be a gross understatement . . .

Kuronue had advocated the return to the Living World. "The opportunity of a 'lifetime'," he joked during one of their times together. "You'll be sore with yourself later if you turn it down." He convinced Kurama, and soon Hiei (reluctantly) gave in, informing Koenma that he too would return to the Living World.

It was difficult, waiting for the new bodies' completion. These were not to be reincarnations, no rebirths, no- certain precautions had to be taken. It took longer for Hiei- extra care was taken for the Jagan and the Dragon, as they were things he had not been born with but had acquired during his life. Kurama woke first. He remembered opening his eyes; drawing his first breath and filling his new lungs with air; his consciousness awakening as he became aware of the activity happening around him. He was in a laboratory, wet, naked, disoriented, but alive.

Hiei had not woken yet. He could see his lover's body in its tank; it wasn't completely formed, reminding Kurama of some enlarged demonic fetus. It was disturbing to him.

He soon began shivering. "Here," someone said, handing him a blanket. Kurama took it, moving his arm stiffly. He tried voicing his gratitude, but his mouth would not form the words, and he ended up murmuring a string of babyish sounds. His eyes widened when he realized he could not talk, his cheeks began to burn. "You'll have to practice at forming your words before you'll be able to speak properly." He nodded, slowly, knowing he had heard that voice before. When he looked up he froze. 'Yomi,' he thought, directing it toward the other demon.

"It's been a while, Kurama," Yomi said, helping the Fox up. He stumbled, finding that he had to lean on Yomi to keep from falling. 'This again,' he thought resignedly, thinking of his impatience before when learning how to properly function in a human body. At least this time he would not have to start over as an infant.

"Let me look at him." Suddenly he found his face held between the thumb and first two fingers of Mukuro's right hand. He shuddered; this hand was made of metal and very cold. She inspected his face closely, and then pulled back Kurama's blanket, making him shiver worse. "You don't look malformed or anything," she observed, returning his blanket. He stared mutely, wondering exactly where in the Makai they were.

Mukuro redirected her attention to the underdeveloped Koorime in the tank. "He'll be with us by the end of the week," she told Kurama. He nodded, staring at Hiei.

Yomi escorted him to a room. Kurama managed to stumble on his own to the bed, nodding dumbly while Yomi talked to him. Surprisingly there was no scorn, not even subtle talking down to him about the bloated, weepy creature he had been during the last months of his life. Not Yomi's usual compassion, Kurama thought. He wondered at this for some time while their relatively one-sided conversation ensued, until in the doorway appeared his answer- a demon who Kurama thought looked like a perfect duplicate of Yomi from a long time ago, when they were both much younger. His son, Kurama realized. Shura, all grown up.

This adult Shura stared at him, and Kurama, becoming very aware of his nakedness, clutched the blanket around himself tighter. He met Shura's stare with one of his own, startled, the passage of time becoming very real to him all of a sudden.

After a minute Shura crossed his eyes, screwed up his face, and stuck out his tongue. _"Nyuh!"_ he went, lips curling into a mischievous grin. Kurama stared a moment longer, and then began to laugh, something he did not have to relearn how to do.

As Mukuro had predicted, Hiei awoke and emerged from the tank at the end of the week. It was the middle of the night, and Kurama was sleeping when a disturbance in his room woke him up. Mukuro had come in, her arm wrapped around what a stranger would have thought to be a half-asleep child, in need of escort back to its bed. But Kurama knew this was no child, and sat up, pulling back the covers to receive Hiei, embracing the smaller form and crying softly. He had worked for several days, conditioning the muscles of his mouth, so that he might be able to say aloud, "Hiei."

* * *

For the better part of two months the revived pair had done nothing- with the exception of attending to bodily necessities such as sleeping- but work to regain the skills they had possessed prior to death. Sitting here now, on the bed of the hotel room, doing nothing, felt luxuriously great. Kurama stretched, yawning, and rose, walking to the window. He leaned over on the frame, looking outside at all the lights, cars, speeding along on the street. It had been so long since he saw anything of the Human World that it felt rather foreign to him now. Was this how Hiei had felt before, when he was made a prisoner by the Spirit World on a plane that was not his? At least Kurama had chosen to come to the Ningenkai, even if out of desperation.

Hiei glanced up, and then quickly redirected his gaze to the food. Kurama was bent over, and filled out the pants he wore quite nicely . . . Hiei swallowed, quickly reaching for his water glass. In the two months they'd had flesh, an entire two months, they hadn't . . .

He coughed. "When are you going to contact them?" he asked.

"Hm?" Kurama turned around, now using the windowsill as a sort of chair. He wore an odd expression, one that was a mixture of thoughtful and troubled. "Perhaps we shouldn't contact them at all," he murmured.

"What?"

"Should we interfere with their lives if they're happy?" Kurama said. "Rikou and Takashi might not even remember us. Would it really be fair?"

"I want to see them," Hiei said flatly.

Kurama blinked. "What?"

"You might have been the one who got sick and swelled up and went into labor, but I was there for parts. They're my children, too."

He had to smile a little at Hiei's bluntness. "I had no idea you could be so paternal, Hiei."

The Koorime rolled his eyes. "Besides," he added, "we don't know how long we'll be here- Do you really think you can stay away from them while living in the same city for a month; six months; a year? So far you haven't managed one day."

Kurama frowned, but did not move to defend himself. Earlier, in an act of rashness and bad judgment, he now admitted, he had dragged Hiei up near the Meiou school, right when the students were let out. Hiei didn't even bother asking, he already knew what they were doing.

They did not have to wait long. Descending the steps of the school was a small group of rather eccentric-looking students. There was a girl, who right there in the middle of the sidewalk was hastily stripping herself- and receiving many stares- of her bright red jacket and skirt uniform, revealing another outfit underneath of black pants and a white "poet's shirt" with lace around the collar and cuffs. Her hair was black with aqua streaks, and even across the street it was hard for the pair of sharp-eyed demons to miss the bright green color of her eyes.

"That's the one who ratted me out to Yukina," Hiei muttered.

"I don't recall it going quite like that," Kurama said to him.

Waiting on the girl was a boy with red hair of a punky shade- though both watchers knew it to be natural- pulled back in a scraggly pony tail. He was tapping a foot impatiently while conversing with a boy with dark blue dyed hair. He kept shifting on his feet, edgy, as though uncomfortable in his uniform, but unlike the girl without another pair of clothes.

With perhaps the exception of the blue-haired boy, they were the most bizarre-looking students in the crowd, but they passed as human. Nobody would think them demons.

Kurama pursed his lips. A large boy, perhaps too muscular to be all-natural, had come up behind the group, taunting the two boys with a sneer on his face. Even from across the street, they could hear the insults.

"What the hell's a fag?" Hiei muttered.

Kurama clenched his fists. "It's human slang, a vulgarity. A term some people use to describe a boy or a man they think is gay or 'girly' in behavior, or perhaps a person they just don't like." Hiei noted Kurama's tone, and wondered if the Fox had suffered such insults before.

Takashi was now making bizarre hand gestures toward his body, talking to the bully with a sly smile on his face. The boy's face turned red and he took a swing at Takashi, who swiftly dodged it. Hiei laughed.

"What?" Kurama asked, not hearing what Hiei had.

"You and Takashi appear to have conflicting definitions for that word," Hiei informed him. "According to him, it's an acronym for Flexible And Gorgeous- and while he's flattered, that big oaf there is not worthy of him, and would have better luck seeking members of his own species." Hiei smirked. "He suggests that the idiot try picking up a date at the ape house."

Kurama laughed, wishing he had come up with something like that.

A teacher shouted at the group, who immediately dispersed. Hiei grabbed Kurama by the wrist and quickly pulled him out of sight. "Stealthy," he told the Fox sarcastically.

* * *

"That was different," Kurama said indignantly. "That . . . I wanted to see them is all."

"Uh-huh," said an unconvinced Hiei. "And that glimpse is enough for you? And what about your mother, and the man and the boy?"

Kurama pretended not to hear, and lay down on the bed. "Want to know something?" he said. "Everything here feels strange to me now, even things that were the everyday mundane to me before. It's as though I'm not of this world now, anymore than you are."

"You were never of this world," Hiei reminded him, though his tone was not harsh.

"Yes, but assimilation never required an effort before. It was not difficult for me."

"Maybe it's coming back from the dead that's difficult," Hiei said, playing with Kurama's hair. Kurama did not reply, instead laying his head in Hiei's lap. This was perhaps the most intimate they had been physically since they had woken up . . .

"This arouses you?" Kurama asked, though he could already feel the answer.

"Huh? No."

"You lie," he murmured, turning over now so he knelt in front of Hiei. "But I forgive you." Hiei drew a breath as Kurama undid his belts, and then his pants. The Koorime wasn't wearing underwear, providing easy access to Kurama, who giving Hiei a sultry look lowered his head, red hair quickly concealing his face. Hiei widened his eyes, taking a few shaky breaths and shuddering a little, letting his eyes roll back inside his head after a minute.

The Fox swirled his tongue around Hiei, closing his eyes and allowing experience to take over. His body gave a shudder of its own as he breathed in Hiei's scent, felt Hiei swell in his mouth, tasted Hiei on his tongue.

Hiei moaned and spread his legs to give Kurama better access. "Keep going," he asked in a low voice, fingers wrapping themselves in red hair. "Ah- _Ah . . . !"_ The muscles of his legs tightened, his toes curled and dug into the sheets.

Kurama propped himself up on his elbows and gave Hiei a small triumphant grin. He flicked out his tongue, and slowly, deliberately, licked his lips clean of all remaining traces of Hiei, while the Koorime stared. "What about you?" he asked Kurama drowsily.

"I'll be fine," Kurama said, refastening Hiei's pants for him. "Besides," he added, smirking, "nobody has ever fallen asleep in me, on me, under me- Whatever, and I'll not have you tarnishing my record." And laughing at the sardonic look that Hiei wore, he pushed the Jaganshi aside, and threw the covers carelessly over him, and then curled himself into a ball beside Hiei but atop the bedding so as to discourage his lover from pursuing him further tonight. "Sleep tight," he told Hiei, who in reply shot him a look that he found most amusing.

* * *

He had not slept long, but to him it seemed much later when he awoke. Hiei was still asleep; he rolled over onto his side and looked out the window form the corner of his eye. Though he could not see, he guessed that there were less lights moving on the street below now than there was earlier. It was late- Would she be up, he wondered.

She had been a beautiful creature, vibrant, the day he had sought refuge, and hidden himself away in there, though at the time he had been too self-centered to take much notice. She was still beautiful, though not as young of course, the day he died. What was she like now? He had left her slave again, mother to a new generation of demonic offspring to tend to, at an age when most women were experiencing that process when their organs were shutting down, never again to produce even the possibility of another baby. Was that happening to her when he was still alive? He'd never thought to notice. Was her hair grayer now? Did her face have more wrinkles? Had she maintained her health since he had gone?

Without thinking he eyes slid away from the window and rested on the phone. Did he dare . . . ?

Yes, he answered- as he held the phone to his ear, having already dialed the number. Was it still their number? What time was it, was she even up?

"Hello?" a female voice asked on the other end of the line.

This voice was not his mother's. Most likely its owner was not even in the same age group as her. His stomach lurched when it dawned on him who the voice might belong to.

"Is Shiori Hatanaka there?" he asked the girl who, unless his family had moved, he was certain to be his daughter Rikou.

"Yes . . . Hang on a minute."

It really was only a minute, perhaps even less, before another person took the phone. "Hello?"

He knew this voice well. Would she recognize his? "Do you know who this is?" he asked.

"What?" She sounded confused.

"Do you remember that day, when I died?" Silence on the other end. "It was in the afternoon, I think, in your arms. You were telling me about the day you gave birth to me. My heart quit beating before you even told me how that day was the happiest of your life."

"Who is this?" Shiori's voice was tinged with an anxiety of sorts.

"And you buried me under the Sakura, next to Hiei, like I wanted. And you raised my children. I hope that neither of them has behaved like the brat that I was to you."

_"Who are you?" _She was upset, understandably. He would not avoid it any longer.

"This is Kurama- Suichi," he corrected himself. "I'm alive, Mother. I'm here in the city." And to no surprise of his, she began to cry. "I have missed you, Mother; I would like to see you . . ."

Hiei stretched himself and opened his eyes partially, groggily. He cricked his head to one side, and was mildly startled to find that Kurama was not in bed beside him. No- Kurama sat curled up in a chair beside the table, holding the phone to his ear and quietly crying.


	8. Chapter VIII

_The Muse cometh and the Muse up and leaveth without even leaving a note or anything. Eh. It was with me for the better part of the week, and then suddenly left this afternoon. But hey, it gave me a bit of a run, so at least its stay was not unproductive. I'm here, aren't I? _

_This chapter was a little odd to write, because given the content, it could be written in several different ways. The relationship between Hiei and Kurama and their living relations/friends- the children especially-is a kind of awkward one, what with being dead for so long and all. So bear with me while I get my grounding on this._

_So for most of you, I'll not keep you any longer (though if you were in a major hurry to read this, you could just skip over these italics, huh?). Here it is, the eighth installment of _Jagamino_. And hey, maybe if the Muse drops back by, I can finish up some WIOOP? and post it, soon._

_Oh yeah, and Kyo Hana: I'll have your DVDs back to you soon! Man, I feel bad that I keep forgetting about them, you know? Procrastination is inconvenient enough for me, but I'm downright amazed by your patience with me (I'd have probably sent a bounty hunter out on my ass some time ago). Ugh, but no worries, I am making a note, and you shall have them back in your rightful possession **very soon.** Until then, I hope you enjoy this chapter._

* * *

Jagamino  
Chapter 8  
April 9, 2006

"Mr. Jaganshi-Minamino," the teacher said sharply.

"What?" Takashi blinked his eyes rapidly, snapping out of his dazed reality.

"Would it be too much for you to answer the question?"

'You don't have to be such a bitch about it,' he thought. "Uh . . . Emperor Hirohito?"

To his surprise, the teacher blanched white, while the majority of his classmates gave him looks of disgusted reproach. "What? Is that the wrong answer?"

"No," Tohru muttered behind him. ". . . If America bombed Pearl Harbor."

"Huh . . . ?" And then Takashi caught the analogy. "Oh _fuck!"_

"See me after class, Mr. Jaganshi-Minamino," their history teacher said sternly.

* * *

"Shouldn't you three have gone home by now?" Kaito asked, staring down at Tohru, Kenji, and Rikou, all of whom lingered on the steps just outside the school's entrance.

"We're waiting for the dumb ass," Rikou answered.

"Oh yes, I did hear that Mr. Jagamino proposed the notion that Emperor Hirohito dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It's also my understanding that his proposal was ill-received."

"Uh, yeah," Tohru said. "And whether Hirohito dropped the A-bomb or not, Jagamino dropped the F-bomb."

"Moron," Kenji muttered.

"Hey, I resemble that!" shouted the subject of the conversation. Takashi bounded down the steps. "Hey Kenji," he said slyly, "I'm sorry that they don't allow conjugal visits in detention." He suddenly looked worried. "You didn't think about anyone else while I was on the inside, did you?"

"Shut up!" Kenji practically snarled, standing up and setting to kick Takashi.

To his irritation, the redhead caught his foot. "You know, I could yank on this and make you fall," Takashi said. "But I won't." He released the blue-haired boy. "Because I'm such a nice guy." Kenji glared.

"Takashi," Tohru said, "did she yell at you about the atomic bomb?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "But I explained to her how recent issues of the familial type had distracted me while she asked the question, and she became a little more sympathetic."

_"Nice," _Tohru applauded. Takashi shrugged again, a smirk on his face, before sprinting down the remainder of the steps, anxious to be off school grounds after this annoying delay.

"Issues of the familial type?" Kaito repeated, one eyebrow raised.

"Oh yeah . . ." Rikou waited until Tohru and Kenji were out of hearing range. "Apparently, our parents are alive and in the city." Amused by the expression on Kaito's face, she waved innocently, and then whirled around and chased after the others.

"Hey," Kenji said to Takashi.

"What?" Takashi asked. "You're not pissed about the foot thing still?"

"No."

"Then what?" The redhead turned around, walking backwards so he could look at Kenji.

"What family issues were you talking about?" the blue-haired boy inquired.

Takashi looked thoughtful. His eyes drifted to the cross necklace Kenji wore. "Lazarus," he murmured.

"Huh?"

"What's a Lazarus?" Tohru said.

"Tag!" Takashi stumbled and almost fell into the street as Rikou shoved him on her way by. "Come on Takashi, you can flirt with your boyfriends some other time! We have an engagement, _remember?"_

"Oh shit!" Takashi exclaimed, as she was right. "Don't you two fight over me while I'm gone, you hear?" He grinned at the dirty looks from Kenji and Tohru, and then followed his sister.

* * *

Keiko glanced at the clock. "It's almost time, isn't it?"

"What?" Kurama looked up at the time. "Yes, I suppose it is." He lifted his teacup to his lips, and everyone could see that his hand, and thus the cup and its contents, was shaking.

"Kurama, would you like us to come with?" Yusuke ventured, hoping the Fox didn't spill.

He shook his head. "I let you and Kuwabara and Koenma handle these ordeals for me in the past; I ought to do this on my own- Well, except for Hiei," he added, though Hiei looked none too enthusiastic about this inclusion.

"Are you sure?" Keiko asked concernedly. "You'll be meeting your family after so long, and this is practically the first time you'll ever meet your children- I can't even imagine what that must be like."

"Thanks for easing my anxiety, Keiko," he said sarcastically, noting a tone of discomfort in her voice.

"He'll be fine," Hiei said. "If he can fight off a high-class demon, he can handle a herd of humans."

"Technically, Rikou and Takashi are demons," Kurama reminded Hiei.

"Human-raised," the Koorime countered. He looked over at Kurama, and heaved a sigh. "Eat!" he said exasperatedly. Kurama's lunch was untouched, and he'd barely picked at his breakfast that morning. Hiei suspected it was nerves, but really did not want the Fox fainting from hunger before they met with the Hatanakas- or worse, _during._

"I'm not hungry," Kurama protested; Hiei glared at him. He made a frustrated face, but took a few bites of food to satisfy the Koorime.

"Is it just me," Yusuke muttered, "or are people staring at you?" Kurama pushed away his plate and began massaging his forehead.

"Shut up, Detective," Hiei growled.

"Hey, I know how it has to feel, Fox-boy," Yusuke said, ignoring Hiei. "I came back from the dead, too, remember?"

"For sixteen years?" Keiko said.

'Good point,' Yusuke thought. He poured a little sake into a glass and set it in front of Kurama. "Good luck," he told the Fox.

'Where's mine?' Hiei thought glumly, eyeing the sake. Was this supposed to be difficult only for Kurama?

Kurama lifted the glass. "Thanks," he said, downing the liquid and hoping for the best.

* * *

"Damn!" Takashi exclaimed. He had no idea what all Shiori was cooking, but something smelt good.

"Don't say that," Shiori admonished. "Keep out of that!" she added, when she realized who it was she was scolding.

"Come on!" he pleaded. "It's not like there won't be anything left."

"It won't kill you to wait," she told him, directing him out of the kitchen. He groaned and flopped down on the couch.

"You know, you whine a lot where foods concerned," Rikou said.

"I can't help it," Takashi groaned. "I'm hungry!"

"You've been hungry a lot lately," she observed. She smirked. "Hung out with Kenji much?"

_"Why?" _he asked warily. She had that _look _about her again.

Rikou patted his belly. "I think it's going to be a baseball player," she teased.

"Shut up!" He swatted at her hands while she laughed. "She might freak if she hears that right now. Quit laughing!" Rikou quickly sobered. "Not so serious!" he groaned. "She'll think it's true!"

This started her up laughing again. "At least it'd take the tension off everything."

"Oh yeah, let's take the tension off the living dead people, and pile it on me instead!" He furrowed his brow. "Hey, I don't really look . . . Do I?" He flattened his shirt against his stomach.

Rikou snickered. "What, afraid Kenji won't look at you that same way anymore?"

"You mean that look he gives me when I'm acting stupid?" He smiled wryly. "Naw, I just don't want to get too slow to outrun Buma."

She made a dismissive gesture with one hand. "Just give him one of those brain freezes of yours."

He smirked. "So . . . What are we supposed to call the birth-giver?" he asked, referring to Kurama.

"Well, um . . ." She frowned, unsure of the answer.

"Usually," said Suichi, having overheard them, "children refer to the parent that gave birth to them as their mother."

"Yeah, but also usually, mothers are female," Takashi countered.

Suichi shrugged. _"Usually _being the key word there."

"But what about male seahorses?" Rikou asked. "They give birth, but they're still the fathers."

"Yeah, but originally they're not the ones impregnated. The male still uses his sperm to fertilize-"

"Okay, I think we've heard enough!" Takashi interrupted, pulling a face.

"As though our lunch conversations aren't any worse," Rikou commented.

"Hey, before you get all uppity, let me remind you about my _pleasant_ experience watching the two of you pop outall slimy and covered in blood and placenta-"

"Suichi, perhaps that's not the best topic to discuss right before dinner," Kazuya said.

"But how do you know this is right before dinner?" Takashi asked, somewhat dejectedly. "She won't let us eat until-"

He went silent, however, when they heard a knock on the door.

* * *

"You don't have to stand right behind me," Kurama said. "I won't bolt or anything."

Hiei stayed rooted in his place. Bolting was precisely what he feared Kurama might do. "They won't know we're out here if you don't knock," he said, wrapping his arms tightly around Kurama's waist- just in case the Fox attempted to flee. Kurama raised his hand, but hesitated; Hiei sighed and rapped on the door himself.

* * *

"So . . . who's going to get that?" Rikou inquired. No one moved.

"You're so curious, you get it," Takashi told her.

"I'm not _dying_ of curiosity," she said. "It's just good manners. You could use some practice, Takashi."

Suichi looked to his parents. Shiori stood in the entryway to the kitchen, pale and apparently frozen; Kazuya looked hesitant.

He heaved a sigh. _"I'll _get it."

* * *

Hiei felt Kurama tense up. "Are you trying to match the depiction of a walking stiff?" he asked sarcastically.

"You're not funny, Hiei."

"I wasn't trying to be." The door opened, and for a moment Hiei was afraid that Kurama might faint.

Kurama widened his eyes, drawing a breath. "You've . . . grown taller," he managed.

Suichi stared at the redhead. He was taller than the latter now, by just a little. He had never realized that until now. "And you . . . look the same," he replied. "Well, I mean that you look like you did before . . ."

A pair of arms wrapped around his brother's waist drew his attention to a shorter demon standing behind Kurama, face just barely peeking around at him. "You're Hiei," he said. "We met at Genkai's temple, um, sort of."

The Koorime nodded, maintaining an expression of disinterest. "I remember."

"Um . . . come in, I guess." Suichi stepped back so they could enter.

Kurama followed Suichi, mainly because Hiei was pushing him from behind. The first person he saw was a human man who looked to be in his fifties. "Hello, Kazuya," he said, recognizing his step-father.

Kazuya nodded, gawking at the Kitsune. "Suichi," he said awkwardly. "And Hiei, right?"

Hiei nodded. He looked to his right and spotted the children from yesterday. Both were watching him, their faces impassive, perhaps projecting the same aloof appearance as him for similar reasons. He quickly looked away, opting now to glance to his left. Kurama and the woman, who though inevitably aged was clearly the Fox's human mother, were in some sort of staring match, neither moving. He rolled his eyes. 'Do not make me shove you in front of them.'

Kurama narrowed his eyes at the threat, but moved forward, towards Shiori. He stared downward, unable to meet her eyes; however, he had to look up once he had arrived to the point that there was perhaps an inch of space between them. She continued staring at him, making him uncomfortable. "Hello," he said quietly, not sure what he should say.

Shiori didn't reply, didn't move; she was so still that is startled him a little when after a moment she reached out and touched his face, feeling his skin first with her knuckles, and then gradually with her fingertips. He remained perfectly still as Shiori continued this odd examination of hers, for how long he was unsure. It was as though she were trying to determine that he was in fact real and standing before her.

"I am here," he confirmed, should that be what she doubted. "I'm no hallucination brought upon by some sort of senility, if that is your fear."

She pulled back her hand the moment he spoke, as though frightened. But then she embraced him, so tightly that he sincerely doubted he could have escaped had he wanted to. She didn't cry as she had on the telephone; she seemed beyond that now.

". . . Is she trying to pulverize him or something?" Rikou muttered.

"I'm . . . not sure," Takashi said. "Maybe all this time she'd been pissed with him for dying."

Hiei smirked, having heard them. Kurama's mother did seem to be taking her time about releasing his Fox. 'Has she crushed the life out of you yet?'

The redhead pursed his lips. 'You know, Hiei, I never made fun of you during your reunion with your mother'

'Only because you weren't there. You weren't even dead yet. This is payback for all those times about Yukina.'

Shiori finally let go of Kurama, watching him roll his neck and shoulders and trying to be discreet about it. "It's rude to call your mother senile," she told him.

Kurama raised his eyebrows. "I'm sorry," he said, having not expected this sort of reaction.

"Well, you're forgiven." She smiled warmly at him. "Takashi, you can quit giving me that whipped dog look, it's time for dinner."

_"Finally!" _he exclaimed, getting up so fast that he tripped over his own feet.

"Good one, Grace," Rikou snickered.

"Hey Rikou, I can see the sock lent between your toes!"

Hiei and Kurama each quirked an eyebrow. 'You didn't drop either of them on their heads,' Hiei asked, 'did you?'

'Excuse me, but how can I be sure that _you _didn't drop one of them when Koenma let you come back?'

The Jaganshi shook his head. 'Must have been Kuwabara,' he lamented.

"I think they've gone too long without food," Shiori said. "You two come sit down now, okay?"

Hiei eyed the dining room, where Shiori and Kazuya were setting food on the table, the feeling of being alien quickly catching up to him. He heaved a sigh, but looked at Kurama and smirked.

"What?" Kurama asked cautiously.

Hiei shoved his hands into his pockets, his smirk growing into a slightly evil-looking grin. "You and your mother," he said, trying not to laugh. _"It's rude to call your mother senile," _he mimicked, making his voice high like a girl's. _"That's _a Hallmark Moment."

"Now _that's _rude, Hiei," Kurama said, following the Koorime into the dining room.

Suichi stared. "Um, that was . . . bizarre," he said. Rikou nodded in agreement.

"Who cares?" Takashi said impatiently. "She said we could eat!" His stomach was growling so much it hurt.

Now Suichi stared at the redhead, his expression sly. "Hey Takashi, you aren't-?"

"Stop right there!" Takashi growled. "That isn't possible anyhow, because I've never . . ." He trailed off.

"Finish what you were saying, Takashi," Rikou said.

"Yeah," Suichi taunted. "You've never what?"

Takashi narrowed his eyes. "Shut up," he said. "You're an asshole- And I'm not leaving any rolls for you!"

Almost immediately, uncle and nephew found themselves locked against each other, both trying to keep the other from entering the dining room first. This odd arrangement did not last long, as they toppled over onto one another. "Get your crotch out of my face!" Takashi shouted.

"I'm . . . having flashbacks to Yusuke and Kuwabara," Kurama commented, observing the display with a somewhat bewildered smile on his face. He looked over, and blinked when he saw the look on Hiei's face. "What?"

Hiei stared at him accusatively. "That one doesn't look a thing like me," he said.

Kurama widened his eyes. "I can't believe you . . ." he managed. Hiei _had _to be joking, but the Koorime's tone and expression made it hard to tell.

"You're wrong," Rikou told Hiei. "Have you looked at him closely yet? He's got your eyes and your big head." Hiei blinked. Rikou sat down. "That's a kind of cold thing to do, coming back after all this time and trying to say that the kid you orphaned isn't even yours."

Kurama crossed his legs, anticipating Hiei's reaction.

The Koorime didn't bat an eye. "To say that I orphaned either of you makes it sound intentional. I didn't commit suicide, someone shishkabobbed me."

"Shishkabob sounds good," Takashi said, having freed himself from Suichi. He lifted a roll and toasted his uncle mockingly before stuffing the entire thing in his mouth.

Suichi made a face. "That's _real _flattering, preggers."

"What?" Shiori demanded, while Kurama donned a stunned look.

"He's joking," Takashi said, giving Suichi a Look. "And must want me to stick his hand in warm water tonight."

"Keep in mind where he's sleeping, Takashi," Kazuya reminded him.

"Better not do it," Rikou said, "unless you want him pissing in your bed."

"Don't say that word," Shiori scolded.

"What word?"

"Pissed," Takashi volunteered through a mouthful of noodles.

"Quit that!"

"What's wrong with the word pissed?" Hiei asked.

Kurama quickly raised a hand to hide his smile. "It's sometimes viewed as a vulgarity, Hiei," he informed the Koorime.

"I think that if he's okay with it, we should be able to say pissed," Takashi said, grinning at his grandmother.

"I'd prefer they didn't say it," Kurama interjected.

"Fine. You can't say it," Hiei told Takashi. (Shiori gave her son and Hiei grateful looks.)

"I don't have to listen to you; Mr. Urameshi or Uncle Kuwabara is my real father!"

"He's married to Yukina," Rikou pointed out. "Takashi, does that mean you and Haku and Yuki are siblings?"

"Hell no!"

_"Takashi," _Shiori warned.

"Maybe Yusuke's your dad," Rikou mused. "He swears a lot."

"This conversation doesn't bother you at all?" Kazuya asked Kurama.

The Fox shrugged. "I know for a fact that Hiei's his father. And if anybody doesn't believe that, they _do _have the same eyes and head shapes."

"My head is _not _big," Hiei said.

"And mine is?" Takashi demanded.

"Yours isn't," Rikou said, "because it's in proportion to the rest of you. His is, because he's short."

"I suppose that you are thankful you did not inherit the Koorime stature," Kurama said.

"Just the Koorime family jewels," Takashi said, trying his best to sound innocent. Rikou, Suichi, and even Kazuya began laughing.

"Oh, stop that!" Shiori said. "You grow up!" She smacked Kazuya, who could not stifle himself. "And you!" she scolded Suichi. "I sincerely hope that you behave more mature while you're working."

"Of course," he said, making an effort to calm himself.

"Where do you work?" Kurama asked.

"Different places. I just came back from Haiti; I had to have a translator repeat everything I said to the women."

"What is your job?"

"I'm an obstetrician gynecologist." Kurama blinked. "Actually, I suppose I have you to thank, Suichi. You're the one who roused my interest for the job, in a way."

"A what?" Hiei muttered.

"It means that his job is in women's health, pregnant women especially."

"You got him interested in that _how?"_

"I . . ." He shrugged.

"I was in the delivery room when he gave birth," Suichi said, in a tone that might have been pride.

"He blushes like you do," Rikou murmured gleefully to Takashi, as the two of them watched the blood rush to Kurama's face in reaction to Suichi's statement.

"Not _that _badly," he protested.

"You've never been in a situation this embarrassing before."

"Yeah, that you know of," Takashi scoffed, thinking of Kenji.

"Suichi," Shiori said suddenly. "And Hiei," she added, looking at the fire demon, "this hotel arrangement just isn't going to do. I think the two of you should come here to stay."

Hiei shifted in his seat, but said nothing. Kurama eyed the other people at the table. "Do you even have _room?"_

"Of course," she said enthusiastically.

"She enshrined your room," Rikou told him.

"Did she now?" Kurama asked uneasily.

"Good gods, she's going to open the taboo room," Takashi muttered.

Kurama furrowed his brow. Had his mother actually sanctioned his room, as one might an altar to some god? The thought made him more than a little uncomfortable.

"You two have to come here," Shiori continued.

"I don't _have _to do anything," Hiei mumbled, too low for human ears to perceive.

"We could bring your things here tonight," she concluded.

'Check and mate,' Hiei thought, knowing that Kurama would never refuse this woman.

"Do you guys even _have _stuff?" Takashi wondered. "How long have you been back?"

"Back to the Ningenkai, or back from the dead?" Kurama asked.

"It's not the same?"

"No," Hiei said. "We were in the Demon World for over a month."

"Doing what?" Shiori asked, sounding slightly alarmed.

"Learning how to walk and talk again, for starters," Kurama offered.

"Huh?" both Jagaminos said. "How _did _they bring you back?" Rikou asked.

Hiei waited impatiently while Kurama tried explaining without being too graphic, but still with enough details that it made sense. Shiori, both demons observed, paled, while Kazuya looked slightly repulsed. Surprisingly- or perhaps not, with recent information- Suichi appeared unaffected.

Rikou and Takashi, however, were fascinated. "That's gross," Rikou said, though not in a way suggesting disgust.

"Man, that is sick!" Takashi laughed. "That's like zombies or Frankenstein or something!"

"Frankenwhat?" Hiei asked.

"It's a book," Kurama told him.

"Suichi?" Shiori said, trying to shake off mental images of laboratories and such.

"What?" the human Suichi answered, without thinking, before realizing that Shiori was looking at the redhead. 'This again,' he thought, annoyed.

Kazuya apparently thought the same thing, and gave his son a sympathetic smile. Seeing that Shiori had failed to grasp their other son's attention, he thought a moment, and then said, "Kurama?"

"Hm?" the Fox asked, hearing his demon name.

"Suichi," Shiori emphasized. "The hotel?"

"There are a few things back at the room . . ." Shiori had already grabbed the car keys. Kurama glanced at Hiei and shrugged helplessly.

"Pushover," Hiei muttered, following Kurama. He raised an eyebrow when he turned around and saw that Rikou and Takashi were following them. "May I help you?"

"Were you guys alive while in the tanks?" Rikou asked.

"Technically, yes, I suppose," Kurama replied.

"Were you conscious?" Takashi chimed in.

"Were you conscious in the womb?" Hiei retorted, as to him that was- in a functional sense- what the tanks resembled.

Takashi blinked. "I don't know . . ."

"Shocking," Hiei muttered sarcastically, opening the back door of the car, put off a little that Kurama was sitting up front with the woman.

Rikou and Takashi watched the car pull out the driveway. "They're nice, maybe," Takashi said. "I think you get your girly good looks from Kurama- or Suichi- or whoever the hell he is."

"Funny," Rikou said. "I was about to say the same thing to you." She ducked as he threw a play-punch. "And you really shouldn't make fun of the dead," she chastised, "especially when they walk amongst you. I think Hiei's short enough to head butt you without bending over."

Takashi pressed his lips together in an effort to not laugh. "And people think _we _look weird?" he exclaimed. "I wish I could show everyone at school a picture of that guy and say, _'He's _the freak, _not _me!"

"Careful there. He's definitely psychotic, but isn't he a telepath or something, too?"

"Puh-lease!" Takashi said. "If he was going to kill me for thinking that, he'd have done it the moment he stepped through that door!"


	9. Chapter IX

Jagamino  
Chapter 9  
June 30, 2006

"But _why _did you call yourself Kurama Jaganshi?" Shiori asked.

"Well," he said quietly, "Suichi Minamino is dead, Mother." Though, when this statement resulted in a slightly mortified look from Shiori, he quickly added, "Besides, people sign into motels using pseudonyms all the time."

"Adulterers and prostitutes, maybe," she protested. "You're neither of those."

"Adulterer, maybe," Hiei murmured, smirking at Kurama.

"What?"

"Nothing," Kurama said hastily, giving Hiei a foreboding look. Hiei shrugged it off.

Not a single square of light shone from the house as they pulled into the driveway. "I wish they would have left at least a lamp on," Shiori complained as she unlocked the door and stepped inside. Hiei, having no problem seeing in the dark, quickly found and flipped a switch, and the living room immediately brightened.

"What the hell!" Takashi curled into a ball and pulled his blanket up over his head.

"Takashi, language!" Shiori reprimanded.

"Put that out! Some of us have school tomorrow."

"Why is he sleeping on the couch?" Kurama inquired.

"_Someone _kicked me out of my room."

"Well, it was Suichi's room first," Shiori said defensively.

"Turn off the light!" Hiei obliged. "Thank you!"

"Good night, Takashi," Shiori said to the boy, finding the light in the kitchen. "Just what is it that Koenma wants done with the demon Ukime?" she asked Kurama and Hiei.

"He's concerned that Ukime might harm the boundary between the Living and Spirit worlds. If she succeeded, souls would then be able to return to the living world unwarrantedly."

Shiori appeared confused. "He brought you back, so that you can prevent others from coming back?"

"That's it!" Takashi exclaimed from the couch. "I'll sleep on Rikou's floor." They saw a blanket-shrouded figure shuffle up the stairs.

"What were his living arrangements _before _Suichi went to Haiti?" Kurama asked, yawning.

Shiori noticed. "Bed."

"You didn't answer-"

"Suichi," she said with a slight smile. "Remember before you . . . Before, when I had to keep at you to take care of yourself?"

"Yes, but you still didn't-"

"Listen to the woman, Kurama," Hiei interrupted. "We need _sleep_."

Shiori didn't detect Hiei's suggestive tone, but her son did, and could not help but flash him a secret little smile. "Very well, then. Good night, Mother." He rose and kissed Shiori on the cheek.

She smiled after him as the darkness of the living room engulfed him. "Hiei, Suichi's room is-"

"I remember where Kurama's room is," the Jaganshi said. He waited a moment for Shiori to infer his meaning- and inevitably blush- and then followed the redhead.

* * *

"What's with you?" Hiei asked Kurama, who stood frozen in the doorway.

"What?" Kurama looked at him, a somewhat stunned expression on his face. "It- It looks the same, as though nothing's changed."

"I hope you're referring to the room. Because if not, might I remind you of the things sleeping down the hall?"

He laughed. "My loins and I both remember, vividly- But, I don't think they were joking when they said that she enshrined it." He sat down on the bed, looking mildly disturbed, but he shook it off and gave Hiei a furtive look. "I remember this, too," he said, bouncing on the mattress a little.

Hiei smirked. "You never told your mother about my visits, did you?"

Kurama appeared thoughtful. "I don't know if I did- though I _did _divulge to her some details concerning that sort of thing."

"How naïve of her never to fathom some of those details taking place in her precious little boy's room," Hiei snorted, "right under her nose."

"You bask in the idea of that stunning her, don't you?"

"I'm amazed that even with those human ears of hers she couldn't hear the screams I coaxed out of you," the Koorime gloated.

"Enough insulting my mother! Besides, aren't there at least a few _other _activities you'd rather be doing right now?" Here now Kurama rose and casually inspected the chest of drawers to determine whether or not they contained any clothes (they did) and in doing so bent over, submitting himself for Hiei's approval.

The Jaganshi, well aware of Kurama's intentions, took the bait anyhow. He sidled up next to the Fox, appraising him, and then attentively massaged the flesh beneath the material confines that was the seat of Kurama's pants, which Hiei intended to soon remove. "Will you tear at all?" he inquired softly.

"Possibly," the Fox replied. "But I trust you to be gen_tle-_" Hiei was brushing his fingers up Kurama's spine, an interesting sensation.

"I'll _try_," Hiei told him, pulling Kurama's shirt up over his head. "Though I may not be able to control myself," he continued in a whiney voice, "having to go _so long _without . . ."

"This is for teasing you in the hotel, isn't it?"

"Hell yes." Hiei undid and pulled down Kurama's pants, giving him a swat. "On the bed- Unless you would like to lean against the dresser?"

Kurama considered it, but took one look at the grooves in the woodwork and decided that was a mess that he did not want to clean up. "The bed will-"

Hiei had already pulled back the sheets and pinned Kurama against the mattress. He knelt over Kurama, who stretched out and rubbed a foot against his thigh, watching Hiei rid himself of his clothes. "You're enjoying your revenge," the Fox stated. Hiei's manner of undressing was slow, provocative, teasing to Kurama.

Kurama received a wicked grin in reply, and then Hiei grabbed the redhead's legs, giving the calves a squeeze, and then pulled them up around his hips so that his and Kurama's genitals were almost touching. "_Oh . . ._" Kurama moaned as Hiei closed the gap and rubbed their penises together. Though he had pleasured Hiei in the hotel, this was the first intimate contact _he _had received in the pelvic region since his resurrection. "Hi . . . ei . . ." he hissed, as the Jaganshi, using his pinky finger, examined Kurama's anus.

"Tight," Hiei murmured, feeling his lover clench around him, like a mouth might around some morsel. "I'll bet you're hungry," he whispered provocatively. Kurama gave a loud, pathetic moan. "What do you want me to do?"

"Please . . ."

"Please, what?" Hiei taunted, rubbing the tip of his penis against the opening. He could feel Kurama's toes curling against his sides.

"Make love to me," the redhead begged.

Hiei snorted. "That is not what I intend to do." He smirked at the expression of distress on Kurama's face. "Lovemaking is too tender a term," he elaborated. "I have no intention of being tender tonight."

"And what term would you prefer I use?"

The wicked grin returned. "Wild crazy funky monkey jungle sex."

Kurama burst into laughter, and then he shrieked when Hiei without warning penetrated him. "_Oh gods!_" he cried out. Hiei responded by making monkey noises. "_Oh_," Kurama groaned, digging his nails into the Koorime's back.

Hiei hissed as Kurama drew blood. "Am I hurting you?"

"N-No . . ." gasped the Fox through clenched teeth, arching his back. "_Hiei!_"

"What?" he asked quickly, afraid that he may have actually harmed Kurama.

"_Move!_" Kurama growled, slamming his hips against Hiei's.

* * *

"I'm with Kenji and his family, and we're in Okinawa and we're going to visit that castle- What was its name?- Damn it, this isn't working!" Takashi exclaimed.

"You think they're able to do that on the other side?" Rikou asked.

Takashi squeezed his eyes shut. "I don't know- I don't _want _to know. An afterlife full of dead people . . ."

"Making love?"

He choked. "_That _isn't making love!"

"Then what is it? Going at it; rutting; fucking . . .?"

"_No _. . . It's . . . It's wild crazy funky monkey jungle sex is what it is!"

Now Rikou choked. "_That's _an interesting way to phrase it." She looked thoughtful. "So . . . Do you think there was this much noise coming from that room when we were made?"

"What makes you so convinced we were conceived here?"

"Where do you think, then?"

"Hm . . . If Hiei chose the spot . . . The alley behind a blood bar."

"Cool- But if Kurama chose, then behind a shelf of fat reference books in the back room of a library."

Takashi laughed. "Man, this is _so wrong_- _Ouch!_" He rolled onto his side and curled slightly, clutching his stomach.

"Are you okay?" Rikou asked, watching him.

He forced a smile. "Yeah, just have a stitch or something- Oh, will someone turn the hose on them or _something_ already!"

* * *

"Oh . . . Oh . . . Oh- _Ah! Hiei!_" Kurama thrashed out his legs and screamed the dramatized scream of a stabbing victim in an old horror movie.

Hiei harmonized Kurama's caterwauls with a series of guttural growls, straining himself against the Fox's sweat-sleeked body. A hoarse, howlish noise announced his completion, and he let himself roll off Kurama, laying sprawled on the now-damp bed sheets, narrow chest heaving as he panted, his tongue hanging out a little. "Kurama," he gasped.

"Hm?" murmured the Fox, taking deep breaths and accustoming himself to an emerging soreness.

"It's hot in here. Open the window."

"Mm." Kurama rolled over, sluggishly reaching toward the window and opening it. Almost immediately a light breeze blew through, cooling them to a more comfortable temperature. ". . . Do you think anyone heard?"

"Who cares?" Hiei retorted, his voice muffled by the pillow he had buried his face in.

"If you heard your mother and father making those noises-"

"I don't even know who my father is."

"You've never asked?"

"It's never come up, and I could care less."

"All right, just your mother, then-"

"Kurama, if I heard my mother . . . I'd be sending a part of Kuronue on permanent vacation."

"That doesn't even make sense."

"Doesn't have to," Hiei muttered. "I've seen how he looks at her. I'll kill him."

"I don't think that's an option."

"I can still try."

"We're between Suichi's and my parents' rooms."

"So? How do they think we made Rikou and Takashi?"

"Things are sometimes perceived differently in the Human World."

"The human world sucks," he said, too lazy to think of a better insult.

Kurama laughed. "Thanks for easing my concerns." Hiei gave him a drowsy thumbs-up.

* * *

The demon groaned, dragging himself across the ground. The fallen pine needles irritated his open wounds, which were also attracting bugs. He recalled how in his youth he used to decapitate various insects and impale their heads on tiny pikes, and considered taking up the practice again.

He breathed a silent thank you to no one and nothing in particular, when he saw that he had reached the pair of markers, and that the structure was not so far ahead. The location of his compatriots was too far for him to make; he only hoped that this woman's alleged hospitality toward those like himself reigned true.

"Argh!" he cried out as his wounded leg snagged on a thorny branch of rose. He rolled over and painfully wrenched his leg free. 'Oh, and of course it would be the rose bush adorning _your _place of rest that I would catch on,' he grumbled, scowling at the tombstone. He made a frustrated noise. "I can't do this anymore!" Finding a rock, he hurled it toward the building as hard as he could. 'Score!' he thought triumphantly as he heard the sound of screen ripping.

The lights in the temple came on, silhouetting a figure that emerged onto the porch. "Who is out there?" demanded an irritated voice.

He cleared his throat. "I am, ma'am." He narrowed his eyes as a light was shone on him. "Would I be correct in believing that you are the Psychic named Genkai?"

"You would. What is that you have?"

He pushed it forward. "One less thing for Koenma to worry about- Though I'm afraid that I come bearing news that will more than replace the original concern."

Genkai observed his state of dishevelment. "That leg appears to enjoy causing you grief."

"Hah." Kuronue managed a weak smile. "I was never quite the stealthy thief that Kurama was."

* * *

Suichi yawned, and rested his head on the table. "Say, Mom, did you hear-?"

"I didn't hear anything last night," Shiori interrupted hastily.

"I . . . didn't finish the question."

"I still didn't hear anything."

He gave her an unconvinced look. "Yeah, you did."

"No, I didn't."

"Come on! Their room is between yours and mine- if I could hear them, then you could."

"Hear what?" Rikou asked, entering the kitchen, soon followed by a drowsy Takashi.

"Um . . ."

"Were you talking about the wild crazy funky monkey jungle sex?" Takashi mumbled, swearing when he walked into the refrigerator.

"Watch it!" Shiori said.

"My language, or my step?"

"Both."

"Wild crazy funky monkey jungle sex?" Suichi snorted.

"Yeah, you got a better name for it?" Takashi sank into a chair opposite his uncle. Suichi gave him a blank look. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Learn to love it, and praise me as its ingenious inventor."

"Yeah, right. Hey!" he exclaimed as the boy wordlessly pulled his breakfast across the table and began eating it.

"Relax," Takashi said. "There's more, so get another plate. Get me one, too."

"_Excuse me!_"

"Do you think that it's eating habits like that making you sick?" Rikou asked her twin.

"I'm not sick," he retorted, quickly cleaning his plate and depositing it in the sink. "I'll be in the shower."

"Don't take forever, we have to leave soon," Rikou called after him.

"So . . . Did you guys sleep well last night?"

"Splendidly, after the noise died down."

Shiori coughed. "Is something bothering Takashi?"

Rikou shrugged. "Something in the abdominal area's all I know. He says it's nothing."

"Clock," Suichi said, reminding Rikou that her and Takashi's time was running out.

"I see it." She wolfed down her own breakfast and went upstairs to brush her teeth, walking into a room full of steam. "I'm throwing a toaster in there if you make us late," she said, trying to be heard over the running water. No answer. "Takashi, _move _it!" she barked, flushing the toilet for emphasis. And then she widened her eyes when she realized that the person yelling was not Takashi.

The shower curtain was flung open, and Hiei lurched forward, bending over the tub's edge to escape the showerhead's scorching stream. His back was scalded bright lobster red. He threw his head back, chunks of water-slicked hair going in every direction, sending water flying. "What . . . The hell . . .?" he demanded, staring up at Rikou.

She put a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. "I am _so _sorry, I thought you were my brother . . . Um, I'm going to be late." She quickly turned and fled the bathroom, almost knocking over Takashi. "I thought you were in the shower!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, downstairs. Why?"

"I just scalded Hiei- I thought he was _you_!"

"Oh- Wait, you were gonna _scald _me!"

* * *

Kurama wandered into the kitchen. "You're finally up," Suichi said.

"I was in the shower- Did Rikou and Takashi leave on time? He seemed to be in a hurry."

"Yeah." Suichi pulled out a chair. "Have a seat."

The Fox stared at it. "I think I'll stand."

"I'll bet," Suichi chortled, ignoring the dirty look Shiori gave him. Kurama quirked an eyebrow.

Hiei came in, grumbling something indistinguishable when Suichi and Shiori greeted him. "Where have you been?" Kurama inquired.

"Being cooked."

"What?"

"Nothing." His eyes shifted around the room. "What are we doing?" he asked, hoping that the answer wasn't sitting around all day.

"I think we're going to see Kuwabara," Kurama mused.

Hiei stared. "Why?"

"If anything out of the ordinary has occurred recently, he may have noticed."

"So soon?" Shiori said.

"We weren't randomly selected for a leisure trip to the Living World," the Fox pointed out. "And besides," he looked at Hiei and smiled wryly, "I'm sure that you and Yukina have _much _to catch up on."

"Hn." The Koorime glared at him.

* * *

They arrived in time to catch Kuwabara in the middle of vaccinating a litter of kittens for worms. "Oh, hey guys," he said. His eyes were blood-shot.

"Have you been crying?" Hiei asked snidely.

"Lay off, Shrimp. Eikichi died."

"Your cat?" asked Kurama. Kuwabara nodded.

"That thing was still alive after this long?"

"Yes, _she _did," he told Hiei. "I suppose I should be thankful that she did. Um . . . You guys can go sit in the back room; I'll be done here in a second."

He replaced the kittens in their cages and went to the back room. "Uh, Kurama, you can sit down if you want."

"I'm fine standing," replied Kurama, while Hiei looked at the ground and smirked.

"Okay . . ." Kuwabara gave Hiei a weird look.

"There's fur everywhere in here," Hiei griped, trying to pick it off his clothes.

"Shit, thanks for reminding me." Kuwabara opened the closet and began rummaging in it. "Haku and Yuki will be here in a bit, and Yukina hates it when they come home with fur in their mouths." Hiei now found it appropriate to reciprocate the weird look.

"Kuwabara," Kurama said, while the carrot-top vacuumed, "have you noticed any odd activity in the area?"

"What do you mean?"

"Of the paranormal persuasion."

He shrugged. "No more than the usual."

"Someone is here," Hiei said, hearing over the vacuum's din the front door open.

Kuwabara turned off the machine, just as the door opened. "_Daddy!_" squealed Haku, prancing around in front of the carrot-top, wanting to be picked up.

His father obliged. "How was Genkai's?" Kuwabara asked Yukina.

"Fine. Oh, you're here," she said, noticing Kurama. "Genkai's patient was asking for you."

"Patient?" Kurama asked, confused.

"A demon, um, he had wings. I think his name was-"

"Kuronue?"

"Yeah." She furrowed her brow. "Do you know him?"

"Unfortunately," Hiei muttered.

". . . Kuronue was Kurama's partner from a long time ago," Kuwabara said. "So, he's back, too?"

"Yes," the redhead answered, sounding distracted. "Yukina, what do you mean when you say 'patient'?"

"Well, his leg looked injured."

"Figures," Hiei said. He sighed as Kurama made for the door, knowing where the Fox intended to go.

"Hiei, stay here," Kurama told the Koorime when he made to follow. "I doubt you'd find visiting Kuronue entertaining, except for sadistic reasons. I don't think he can properly rest with you present."

Hiei gave him a puzzled look, but sat back down.

"Uh, what was that about?" Kuwabara asked after Kurama left.

"Nothing," the Koorime replied shortly. Suddenly he grunted, as Yuki had climbed none too gingerly into his lap.

"Hello!" she said loudly. "Who are you?"

He stared. 'Damn you, Kurama,' he thought, realizing too late the Fox's intentions in leaving him behind.

* * *

Kuronue stirred, hearing the door open. "How are you feeling?" the newcomer asked.

"I want to know the ingredients in that pain reliever the woman gave me," Kuronue replied. "I'm feeling _good_."

Kurama smiled, and knelt on the floor beside the Bat's bed. "You recovered the Forlorn Hope," he praised.

"Hm, yeah." He pulled back the sheet, revealing his leg. "It's the same one."

Kurama ran a hand over the bandaged limb. "How did it happen?"

He looked thoughtful. "I had tracked them down. They were gathered in a thicket, so I couldn't fly. I heard her before I saw her."

"Ukime?"

"Yeah. She has a very oily voice, very ensnaring. Perfect for a cult leader. I . . . I was too late. I arrived in time to force my way through her cattle and pry the mirror out of the dead one's fingers."

"Ukime didn't use the artifact herself?"

He shook his head. "Some lackey. I could hear . . . The lackey was hesitant, but Ukime- well, that oily voice. Her chosen sacrifice was weak, and she preyed on that. I suppose she was preparing for if the project backfired."

"What do you mean?"

Kuronue afforded a dry laugh. "You'd think that an object as powerful as the Forlorn Hope would have some sort of fine print. Apparently not, though." Kurama furrowed his brow. "Ukime's guinea pig was dead when I took the mirror, but I don't think there will be any need for a burial."

The redhead clenched his jaw. "You mean-?"

"The veil has been torn down," Kuronue said grimly.

* * *

"I think I'm going to die . . ."

"It can't be that bad, Kenji," Takashi told the boy groaning on the other end of the phone.

"Oh yeah? Right before you called, I threw up for the _fifth _time today. And my parents are forcing me to eat."

"Well, if all you have to chuck is stomach acid, it's worse than food."

"Have you and my parents been comparing notes?" asked a suspicious Kenji.

Takashi laughed. "Hey, maybe you shouldn't have eaten after Buma sneezed on your lunch. He's sick, too."

"What?"

"Well, he wasn't in school, but maybe he was arrested or something-"

"No, I mean the part before that."

Takashi widened his eyes. "Oh yeah- you must have been grabbing napkins . . ."

"_Takashi!_"

"Um, sorry?"

"Who's Kenji?" Hiei asked.

"Takashi's friend," Shiori answered.

"Hey Takashi, you'd better hope he's down for a while," Tohru said. "He's going to kill you once he's feeling better."

"What about that one?" Hiei said, eyeing the boy sitting on the couch between his "cousins."

"That is Tohru. He's another friend." She pursed his lips. "Do you know when Suichi will be back?"

Perhaps Kenji was the blue-haired boy they had seen, Hiei mused. "No, I don't."

"I thought your uncle was coming home at seven?" Tohru murmured, looking over his math homework.

"She means our, um, cousin Suichi," Rikou told him.

"How many Suichis does your family have?"

"I don't know. It's a common enough name, isn't it?"

"Who did he go to meet?"

"Someone who has been working in the Demon World." Shiori paled slightly. "What?"

"The . . . Demon World?"

Hiei rolled his eyes. "Kurama is a demon; once upon a time it was obvious merely by looking at him- And before you . . . _domesticated _him, he was a malevolent force that most dared not to cross." She gave him a startled look. "You saw what he did to the Mushiyori Butcher. You think he hasn't done things like that before? Kurama will be fine."

Shiori looked uncomfortable, and Hiei shifted in his seat, finally rising. "Where are you going?"

"He's been gone a while," Hiei replied. "If Kuronue's news has detained him for this long, then I want to know what it is."

"Kuro-?" Hiei shut the door behind him before she could finish.

* * *

"What are these called?" Kuronue asked.

"Ramen noodles."

"They should make these in the Makai."

Kurama laughed a little. "They do, now." He stretched out his legs a little, as they were cramped.

"Kneeling for that long can't be good for your knees. Sit down."

"Ah . . ." He shook his head. "I don't think so."

Kuronue gave him an odd look, and then took note of Kurama's tired appearance. He rolled onto his side, looking Kurama over closely, and then he smirked. "Hiei's not a gentle lover, eh?"

His question earned a sheepish smile. "Occasionally, no. Last night happened to be one of those occasions."

"Lie on your side," the Bat told him. "I don't' want you to be uncomfortable." Kurama hesitated, but at Kuronue's persistence did lie down. "Have you met your children?"

He nodded. "Yes. They both go to the school I did."

"That is good?"

"It's a prestigious school, so yes. It means that they are especially smart. You'll have to meet them sometime."

"And I would be introduced as . . .?"

"This must be interesting news," Hiei remarked from the doorway.

"What?" Kurama said, until he realized how they must appear from Hiei's point of view: Lying beside one another, and Kuronue had begun massaging Kurama's buttocks.

Hiei looked around. "Isn't this the room you gave birth to our children in?"

"You're so subtle, Hiei," Kuronue said dryly. "I was simply helping him because he's in pain."

"I hurt you?" Hiei asked Kurama.

He shook his head. "I'm only sore."

"Well, I can fondle you just as well." Hiei narrowed his eyes while Kurama and Kuronue stifled their laughter. "_Massage_," he corrected. "And that woman's wondering about you."

"'That woman'?"

"My mother," Kurama informed his winged companion. "What do you mean, Hiei?" The Koorime gave him an irritated look, and relayed to him Shiori's annoying questions and apprehensions. Kurama smiled sympathetically.

"It appears that you should go home and reassure this woman," Kuronue said.

"It would," he murmured, standing up. "You stay here and rest."

Hiei and Kuronue both snorted. "I don't' think I have much of a choice," the Bat said. "I had to drag myself here as it was."

"A shame I didn't see," Hiei lamented. He narrowed his eyes as something occurred to him. "And was the news you seemed so urgent about real, or a fabrication to lure Kurama to your sickbed?"

"I would have come regardless," Kurama protested.

"It _was _urgent," Kuronue said. He told Hiei about Ukime and the Forlorn Hope.

"Where is the mirror now?"

"Some bubbly little delegate of Koenma's came to collect it."

"Did she have blue hair by chance?" Kurama asked.

"Yeah . . . Wait!" Kuronue sat up (and winced). "She's the one who brought you over the Divide."

"Bubbly doesn't begin to describe her," Hiei muttered. "Kurama, did you hurt your leg, too?" he asked while Kuronue caressed the aforementioned body part.

"What?"

"I believe that Hiei is playing the jealous lover, Kurama- though if I remember correctly, _he _was the one who proposed the arrangement to begin with."

"The arrangement is fine, provided you stay with the Yoko- and keep your hands off _my _Suichi," he added, using the name corresponding with Kurama's human body, which he was most familiar with.

"He has a valid point," Kurama told Kuronue.

"Fair enough," the winged demon admitted, relaxing his hold on Kurama's leg.

"Besides," Hiei continued, "you're _crippled_. In order to heal, you need lots of _rest_."

"Thanks for the concern," Kuronue said sarcastically. "Can I expect chicken soup from you later?"

Kurama smiled a little. "Hiei's preaching medical advice he doesn't practice." His eyes paled somewhat, glinting gold, and he knelt down and kissed Kuronue on the lips before joining Hiei at the doorway.

"Good night, Bat," Hiei said, wrapping an arm around Kurama.

"Ha, ha," Kuronue grumbled. "Arrogant Bastard."

* * *

"Takashi, I think we're having dinner soon," Kazuya said.

"I don't care," he replied, popping a piece of cheese in his mouth. "I've hungry. I've _been _hungry, and we've _been _having dinner 'soon'."

They heard a door open. "Geez, _finally _you're back!" Suichi exclaimed. "How was the thing?"

"Good news and bad," Kurama replied.

"_That's _your cousin?" Tohru whispered.

"Um, yeah . . . Why-?" Rikou didn't bother finishing her question, however, when she saw the look on Tohru's face.

Takashi saw it, too. "Oh, you're joking! Our, um, cousin is a g-"

"Gorgeous and charming young woman," Rikou interrupted. "And way out of your league. Wouldn't you agree, Takashi?" she asked with a smirk.

"Uh, _yeah_," he answered, playing along.

Tohru snorted. "_I _don't believe in elitism. I can charm over any woman- or gay man. That's how good I am."

"Yeah, what about lesbians?"

"When I say any woman, I mean, any woman _excluding _lesbians, Miss Politically Correct." He blinked. "She's not, is she?"

Takashi smothered a laugh, and almost choked on his cheese. "No, Tohru," Rikou said slyly. "She strictly dickly."

That did it for Takashi. "Are you choking!" Shiori exclaimed, seeing the color he was turning.

The redheaded boy wiped the tears off his cheeks. "I don't know, maybe- _Oomph!_"

"Feel better?" Kazuya asked, taking his hand off Takashi's back.

"Yes, much." He glared at Rikou. "_You _don't make me laugh anymore- Ouch!" He held his stomach.

"Are you okay?" Tohru asked.

". . . Yeah," Takashi answered uncertainly.

"What did you mean by 'good news and bad news'?" Suichi asked Kurama.

Kurama rested his weight against the back of a chair. "Kuronue- that is, my friend who was working in the Demon World- retrieved an artifact stolen from Koenma. Unfortunately, it was used before he got to it."

"Meaning . . .?"

"Souls are no longer bound to the Spirit World," Hiei said.

"Wait, what sort of artifact could do _that_?"

"It's called the Forlorn Hope," Kurama answered. "It grants the user their deepest desire, for a price."

"And that is?"

"Life."

"Figures," his brother grumbled.

"Of course, the price of life is no objection in this case. I wager the one who used the mirror was breathing again in no time."

"Dinner's ready," Shiori announced. "Tohru, are you staying?"

"No, thanks. I'm sure that if I hurry, I'll get there before my brothers pick the kitchen clean. Try not to miss me too much."

Rikou exchanged an evil grin with Takashi, for as Tohru said this he glanced nonchalantly over at Kurama.

"Why's he looking at you?" Hiei muttered.

Kurama shrugged, and glanced at an empty chair. He hesitated, but gingerly sat down, invoking little retaliation from his sorer areas.

"Shall I rub you down later?" Hiei inquired with a smug smile. Kurama shushed him, subtly gesturing to the others; however, it appeared no one had heard.

Or, so Kurama thought, until Suichi leaned over and whispered into his ear, "Should I worry about being woken up by any wild crazy funky monkey jungle sex tonight?"


	10. Chapter X

Assuming everyone reading this has taken at least a middle school English class and thus has some knowledge of basic literary terms, we have left what I believe is called the exposition--the setting of the background and introduction of the main characters--the single digit chapters. Now we're entering the rising action--the double digit chapters, where we'll start to see more action, of various types … Not so much in this chapter, but we're getting there.

Jagamino  
Chapter 10  
August 14, 2006  
Revised March 3, 2007

"We're sure this is the _real _Kuronue this time, right?" Yusuke pressed.

"It _would _be convenient were he merely a puppet or another shape-shifter," Kurama admitted. "However, this Kuronue is most assuredly real, and unfortunately, so is his story."

"_Terrific_," the brunette grumbled.

Suddenly Kuwabara began to laugh. "What is it?" Kurama asked.

"I know what happened to the boundary isn't good news, but at least now I know why Eikichi is still hanging around the house. I thought I was going weird from grief-." He broke off and looked away from the Fox. "Um, never mind."

His sudden discomfort was not lost on Kurama. "You thought I went weird?" the redhead asked, startled.

"Uh …" Kuwabara scratched at the stubble of his beard apprehensively. "Well, I guess a lot of things were happening, um …"

"Quit your rambling," Hiei sneered. "It's foolish."

"Hey!" the "fool" protested.

"How are things going with the kids?" Keiko asked. Hiei snorted. "Um … What does that mean?"

"It's complicated," Kurama explained. "It's difficult to think of us as parents and them as offspring; we only look a few years apart."

"Well, that's not unusual for demons, right?" Kuwabara reasoned.

"No," he admitted. "However--"

Hiei finished his sentence for him. "They're not from the Demon World. They were brought up in the Human World, by humans, and they're bound to view this from a human perspective.

"They're still your children," Keiko objected.

"He … never said it was a bad thing," Kurama said, mildly baffled at her reaction.

"Per se," Hiei grumbled. He narrowed his eyes in confusion. "But why do you care? They're not your children."

"Ahaha," Yusuke laughed weakly. "Do you think we could go see Kuronue?" he asked hastily, wanting to see the conversation pursue a different direction--_any _direction.

* * *

"I hope you caught whatever I had," Kenji said.

Takashi opened another salt packet and poured it over his fish. "Come on, Kenji, where's that Christian love?" he asked casually.

"Fresh out," the blue-haired boy retorted. "Since I just got over being sick--which you were oh so compassionate about--I'm concentrating on loving myself."

Snickering erupted amongst the others. "Good exercise for the right hand," Rikou commented, dabbing her mouth with a napkin to conceal a widening smirk. Kenji glared at her. "_Sorry_--I forgot you're a lefty."

Tohru busted up laughing, trying not to choke on his food but at the same time not send it flying across the table. He managed to calm himself, and then said to Takashi, "I might not be a doctor or anything, Flamer--hell, I don't even remember the last time I was at the doctor's office--but if your stomach is bothering you, stuffing yourself with salty food isn't going to help it." He grinned. "Besides, if you keep it up, you're going to get fat, and then you'll have to be on bottom every time--unless you want to crush Purple Pride over there during your lovemaking."

"Shut up and eat your fish!" "Purple Pride" snapped.

Their bickering went unacknowledged by Takashi, who wolfed down the rest of his meal, and glanced hopefully at Kenji's tray. "Are you going to …?"

Kenji sighed. "You know, gluttony's a sin," he muttered, though he surrendered his potato chips all the same. "Just, please lighten up on the sodium after this."

"Aw, you _do _care!" the redhead exclaimed, popping a handful of chips into his mouth. He tensed a little as the dull ache in his abdomen suddenly inflamed. It lasted longer every time, he noticed. Yet, it was not his stomach, which to his annoyance would not be satisfied at all today, continuing to growl hungrily. "Hey, Rikou," he said. "Are you going to …?"

* * *

"What does she _look _like?" Kuronue repeated, unsure he had heard correctly.

"Yeah," Yusuke said impatiently. "What does Ukime look like?"

The Bat thought about it for a moment. "Her skin had a bluish tint to it," he said slowly. "I think. Her hair might have been black."

"How precise," Hiei said sarcastically.

Kuronue gave him an agitated look. "I had a ten-second interval, at most, between when I laid hands on the mirror and when an angry mob chased after me--needless to say, I was distracted." He knotted his brows. "… There was a discoloration on her face," he added. "The entire right side looked darker."

"That ought to be helpful," Kuwabara said. His cell phone rang, making Kuronue flinch. "Um, sorry," he said, stepping outside.

Kuronue stared after him. "What the hell was that?" he demanded.

"A human," Hiei replied. "Supposedly the most intelligent of the primates. Supposedly being the key word."

"Actually, I meant the--"

"A cellular phone," Kurama told him. "It's a type of communication device."

He lay back down, shaking his head and muttering something about it being a "mad, mad world."

"And the Makai is sane … how, exactly?" Yusuke inquired.

"Hm …" Kuronue contemplated it for a moment, as Yusuke made a valid point. "It's not," he concluded. "But it's a different sort of insanity. Cursed objects and youki and the like--not 'devices' or whatever."

Kurama coughed. "If you will recall, the Makai has plenty of 'devices' now."

The reference to the laboratory resulted in a dry laugh from Kuronue. "I've been gone a long while," the Bat muttered, blowing a stray piece of hair out of his face, glaring at it as it rose only to land across his nose.

Kurama smiled and smoothed it back. His fingers lingered a little, playing with the ebony strands--resulting in an eye-rolling Hiei and a perplexed Yusuke, who only partially noticed when Kuwabara came back inside. "Um … What was that about?" Yusuke asked, distractedly.

"Oh, Yukina wants me to …" He trailed off, casting Fox and Bat a mildly befuddled look. "… Pick up some ice cream before I go back to the shelter. It seems that Takashi ate all of what was in the kitchen." Even as he said it he looked a little bewildered. "If I remember right," he said, eyeing Hiei and Kurama, "you two were light eaters. So how did you turn out a bottomless pit?"

"We didn't raise him," Hiei replied.

"Hey, you can't blame that on a human upbringing," Kuwabara shot back. "Humans don't threaten to wage war over food."

Hiei arched an eyebrow. "Demons don't have annual gluttony contests or obesity epidemics."

"At least we don't have annual death matches in a ring!"

"Um … Does the movie _Gladiator _ring a bell?" Kurama asked diffidently.

His comment was ignored. "Right, you Ningens are so more advanced," Hiei said sardonically. "You've achieved the fighting extreme: Two red-faced men in spandex, screaming like pterodactyls and _pretending _to hurt each other!"

Yusuke exchanged a look with Kurama. "When has Hiei ever watched WWE?" The Fox shrugged.

"I'm confused," Kuronue said. "What does any of this have to do with your son?"

"… Absolutely nothing," Kurama answered, shaking his head while the other two continued exchanging racial insults.

* * *

"I … think you overdid it a little," Rikou said.

"A _little_?" Kenji scoffed. "Takashi was like a swarm of locusts."

"Takashi can hear you," said the boy of that name. He lay curled in a ball on Tohru's couch--which for whatever reason was situated on the Yamamotos' front porch--a queasy look on his face.

"Takashi sure as hell better not heave on Tohru's couch," the aforementioned Yamamoto said. "Or Tohru is not going to be pleased."

"Everyone had better quit referring to themselves in the third person," Kenji grumbled.

"And what if Tohru doesn't?" Kenji glowered at him. "Purple Pride doesn't scare Tohru."

"Do _not _call me that!"

Tohru shrugged. "Okay …" He eyed Kenji's current hair color. "Little Boy Blue," he concluded hastily, jumping off the porch and running, followed by an incensed Kenji.

"Adrenaline's an amazing thing," Rikou remarked. "He almost runs as fast as you do, Takashi." Her brother groaned in reply. "You know, it's a little hard to feel sorry for you," she told him. "You kind of brought it upon yourself."

"My stomach does _not _hurt," Takashi growled.

"What? Then why do you look like you're in pain?"

He propped himself up on one elbow. "_Something _hurts, but it's not my stomach. I don't know what it is."

Tohru shot past the siblings, jumped on the porch railing, and scrambled onto the roof. A moment later, Kenji sprinted into view, looking a little winded. "Get down here!" he demanded.

"Make me!"

"Oh, that's _real _mature!"

"_Ow!_" Takashi yelped, bolting upright, clutching his abdomen tightly.

The blue-haired boy paused in his spat with Tohru and studied Takashi. "Are you okay?"

"Um …" He took a few deep breaths. "I don't know."

* * *

Shiori knocked on the door, but received no answer. Quietly, she went inside. She had been doing laundry. Though she had kept Shuichi's clothes, and they fit perfectly, but Hiei was still wanting. She had located some of the younger Shuichi's and Takashi's clothes, which should fit the Jaganshi.

She found the pair in bed, napping. They had discarded all the bedding save a sheet, as it was warm outside, and lay closely entwined. Shuichi was shirtless.

It bothered her a little. She didn't mind the two of them sleeping together—more than that had produced the pair down the hall—but … Hiei had no longer been in the picture when Shiori had found out about him and her son. Shuichi had been all hrs, just as he always had. Now, though, she couldn't seem to find him without Hiei at his heels. And Hiei wasn't the most approachable person in the world.

"Do you often watch him like this?"

The sudden breach of silence made her jump. A pair of shining garnet eyes stared at her. "What?"

"Looking in on him while he's asleep."

"… He's my child," Shiori reasoned. "I'm sure that if you had raised them, you would look in on Rikou and Takashi." Immediately, realizing what she'd just said, she froze, and gave him an apologetic look.

Hiei looked back through narrowed eyes, though he might have been contemplative versus spurned. "Hn," he muttered, lying back down. He closed his eyes while Shiori deposited the laundry on the dresser.

"What about what you used to do with Yukina?" Kurama murmured sleepily after the door closed again.

He shrugged. "I suppose … I no longer need to do that," he said, stretching out. "Kuwabara, I'm sure, takes care of her."

Kurama laughed a little. "You just don't want to happen upon the two of them—"

"Shut it," Hiei growled.

* * *

"You know, when I said maybe you should go home and lie down, I didn't mean go to _my _home and lie down on _my _bed," Kenji grumbled.

Takashi stretched out, kneading his belly. "But Kenji dearest, your home is my home away from home, and since currently my home is to say the least _crowded_, it's only logical that I instead come here."

"Your house is not _crowded _at the moment," Kenji argued. "Rikou said you could have her bed."

"True, _but _that would mean being alone in her room with her 'pet.'"

Kenji shuddered. "Oh, yeah." He had forgotten about the "pet."

"Yeah--And that 'pet' has disliked me since the day it was germinated. Thus, you see why your bed is the best option."

The blue-haired boy snorted. "That sounds so wrong."

"Oh, but you look _so _right!" Takashi exclaimed, rolling onto his side, giving Kenji and mock-sly look.

"Knock it off."

"Knock what off?"

"That bedroom eyes stare thing."

Takashi laughed, and then made an uncomfortable sound as his abdomen protested. "Don't flatter yourself, Purple Pride. I could get any guy I wanted; why should I settle for _you_?"

"Have you been taking arrogance lessons from Tohru?" Kenji muttered. "… You really are gay, aren't you?"

"Gay?" The redhead looked thoughtful. "Well … My family doesn't exactly label things in that fashion, but I guess you could say that."

"You guess?" Kenji said skeptically.

"_Yeah_, I guess. It's not some easy black-and-white subject. If you want to make it easier to fathom, you can call me bi. But why are you so fascinated all of a sudden?"

Kenji's eyes drifted back to his math homework. "No reason," he said.

The Jagamino's lips twitched ever so slightly, his eyes narrowed in such a way, giving him an inquisitive look. "Unless … You're struggling with some big question about yourself."

"Shut up," Kenji growled irritably. "I'm not gay."

"That's cool," Takashi replied, sitting up, wincing as he did. "But you know, any person I've met who was totally comfortable with whatever they were, didn't have to insist a dozen times a day that they were or weren't this or that." Kenji gave him a withering look. "Hey, I'm just saying," he defended, holding up his hands.

"Go home, Jagamino," the blue-haired boy said wearily.

Takashi shrugged, got to his feet, and giving Kenji an almost pitying look, staggered out the door.


	11. Chapter XI

All right—so, some people noticed, and commented that they thought the conversation between Hiei and Kurama about the cutting had already come up. Well … Brava! You've got a better memory than I. It was kind of one of those, "Aw, shit" moments. But I've made it better now, deleting that scene and now replacing it with a new one, which is linked a little to events that occur in the latter part of this chapter, so if you want to go back and read it, by all means.

* * *

Jagamino  
Chapter 11  
March 3, 2007

Kenji Kazuno awoke gasping, with a dry throat and a heaving chest. He worked his teeth against the insides of his cheeks, drawing out saliva, swallowing once he'd gathered enough. His throat still felt dry; he slid out of bed and slinked down the hall to the bathroom.

Once there, he turned on the faucet and splashed his face with cold water, and then drank handful after handful, not caring that it came from the bathroom sink. He wasn't looking forward to school tomorrow; how could he get back to sleep, and then tomorrow face…?

But no, he thought, no—_he _probably wouldn't be there. He hadn't looked so fine earlier, when Kenji had basically thrown him out. Maybe he really was sick.

'Quit thinking about him,' Kenji instructed himself. 'Shouldn't think about him right before going to bed.'

He rested his head against the wall. The little silver cross around his neck made a soft _clank _as it swung and rebounded off the tile. He stared at it. No, _that _wasn't the cause of the vile feeling he experienced after waking up. His parents were too learned, in both Scripture and history, to have let him tremble unfoundedly over _that._

--But the inquisitions of others: "How can you be _this _when you're also _that_?" He didn't want to spend his life on the constant defensive, combating the same barrage of questions over and over again. 'But of course,' he thought, frustrated. 'Why should anyone bother to learn if it doesn't affect _them _personally?' A growl rose in his throat, already out his mouth before he knew it started.

He trudged back to bed and lay down. It wasn't so bad, when his dreams centered on subjects that lacked distinguishable expressions; faceless, they were no one in particular. Kenji didn't have to sit next to those erotic mannequins in class.

But other times, it was different. There was a face he'd grown up with, which he saw almost every day. No comfort of anonymity here; it was almost real, it _could _be real, it'd almost become real that one day … He couldn't forget about it.

Kenji shut his eyes, hoping that tonight there would be no more visits from Takashi Jagamino.

* * *

Kuwabara paused in the hall, distracted by an augment in laughter coming from a room nearby. He recognized the voices.

"… be sacrilege if we did it in a temple?" Kuronue was asking. Kuwabara couldn't decipher Kurama's reply, but it carried an admonishing tone. Kuronue laughed.

He furrowed his brow. Something about the way the two interacted with each other … bothered him.

"Do you make a habit of eavesdropping?" Genkai demanded.

Kuwabara jumped. "Um … I wasn't meaning to …"

"Kazuma," Yukina called. "I'm ready to go."

"Coming," Kuwabara answered, still wondering at the exchange he had heard.

* * *

"I gave birth in this room."

"And what do you think had to be done first for that birth to happen?" Kuronue demanded impatiently.

He was behaving worse than Hiei had, Kurama noted. But it was the Fox's own fault: As a Yoko, a creature to whom lovemaking was as vital as food, drink, and air, he had spoiled Kuronue. "I also _died _in here," he added bluntly, hoping to defer Kuronue's urges for the moment.

The Bat groaned. "Then let me move to a different room! You do realize that it's torture, lying up here, knowing what he's doing to you back at that house—"

"Genkai's complained that you're not exercising your leg enough," Kurama interrupted. "If you just lie here, you'll get rusty."

"—And where is mine, Kurama?" Kuronue continued haughtily. "Where's mine?" He concluded by giving Kurama an irritated look, and then asked, "How are your children?"

"Don't change the subject," Kurama argued, but he hadn't the heart for it. "They're fine. Hiei's uncomfortable around them." This earned a snort. "But I think they're more like him than he's willing to admit…." He shrugged. "You would like them."

Kuronue laughed, and threw the Fox a skeptical look. "Here, children, meet your mother's boyfriend. Don't you think their family situation is odd enough without adding me to the equation?" Kurama donned a mildly hurt expression, and he hastily added, "Not that I would not like to meet them—But what would I be to them?"

"You'd be …" Kurama frowned. What _would _Kuronue be? He could suddenly hear a medley of the former's and Hiei's voices in his head, saying, "How would you tell your mother…?"

"Uh-huh," said Kuronue, observing the redhead's conflicted expression. "That's what I thought."

* * *

"What's wrong with you?" Tohru inquired.

Takashi shook his head, clutching his side. "Feel sick."

"Well, don't puke on me!"

"That's so rude," Rikou chided. "But, don't puke on me, either."

"Fuck you!" Takashi growled, and then uttered a sharp yelp. "Just a … stitch or something," he rationalized. "Quit staring at me!"

"You're, um, being weird," Tohru said.

"I think I'll go out for a while," he muttered, leaving the other two, making it through the cafeteria doors …

And walking right into Kenji. "Good one, Grace," Kenji scoffed.

"Where've you been?" Takashi demanded, bristling at Kenji's sarcasm.

"I wasn't hungry," the blue-haired boy retorted. He noticed that Takashi didn't look entirely well. "What's eating you?"

Takashi shrugged nonchalantly. "Cafeteria food, you know? _Ow!_" He doubled over and leaned against the wall. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" he hissed.

"_What the—_What's wrong with you?!" Kenji wasn't in the best mood, but Takashi was alarming him.

"Nothing, _nothing_. I think I might go to the nurse. Later, Purple Pride."

Kenji narrowed his eyes, but felt a pang of guilt watching the redhead stagger down the hall. Takashi had been in pain yesterday, too, and Kenji had told him to leave. 'Real Christian of you,' he scorned himself. It wasn't as though Takashi projected visions of himself into his head like an incubus or something.

Takashi gritted his teeth. It felt like his body wanted to collapse; if he wasn't in such a public area, he might have allowed it to.

"You appear distressed, Jagamino."

"Huh?" Takashi looked up.

Yuu Kaito scrutinized him, a mildly concerned look on his face. Takashi could only grimace back.

* * *

"What are you talking about?" Keiko asked, convinced that Kuwabara had lost his mind.

"You haven't met Kuronue yet," Kuwabara insisted. "I heard him and Kurama at the temple today—I think he was trying to get Kurama to have sex with him! And it's not like he was harassing him or anything like that, either—the first time I met him, Kurama was _massaging _him."

"He's injured, isn't he? Maybe it was therapeutic."

"It was _sensuous_!"

She shook her head. "Kuwabara, you've been out of grade school _how _long?"

"No, Keiko, you haven't _seen _them." His frown grew more pronounced. "You know, I started to ask Hiei about it, but he seemed clueless. I think he doesn't know."

"And I think you're insane. Kurama wouldn't go behind Hiei's back like that."

"See, I didn't think he would either, at first; I mean, who _doesn't _remember how bad he was after Hiei died? But …" He shrugged. "It's just, when you see them together—"

"Kurama wouldn't cheat on Hiei," Keiko asserted. "It's not in his nature."

* * *

Hiei was sitting on the couch, polishing his sword, when Kurama returned. "Where did you find that?" Kurama asked, staring at the katana.

"Hn?" Hiei looked at him, and then back at the weapon. "Closet."

Kurama noticed how quiet the house was. "You're—well, you _were—_all alone?"

"I consider it a reprieve," Hiei replied dryly. And then he said, "Takashi's sick."

Hiei led him into the hall. "There's a message, he said, pointing to the answering machine.

Kurama pressed the play button. "Takashi Jaganshi-Minamino …"

"What a mouthful," Hiei muttered, while the anonymous human continued.

"… though it is late in the season for a flu pandemic, it would be wise to keep the student home until his symptoms have passed," the message concluded.

"Could a 'cousin' go claim him?" Hiei inquired.

"And I thought he made you uncomfortable," Kurama teased. Hiei glowered at him. He laughed, and then donned a thoughtful look. "I might draw some stares," he said, "but I won't make you retrieve him by yourself."

* * *

There was no "might" about the reaction Kurama's presence elicited. As the couple approached the school office, several people in the hall gawked at the redhead, who opted to stare straight ahead and pretend not to notice.

Hiei observed the scene pensively. It wasn't often that he wasn't the spectacle of the two.

The secretary turned a shade paler when she saw Kurama. "We are Takashi Jaganshi-Minamino's cousins," the redhead said calmly. "We have come to take him home."

"Oh, yes … And your names?" she asked, eyes still on Kurama.

"Hiei and Kurama Jaganshi," he replied automatically. She nodded, and disappeared into a back room. Immediately, the whispers began:

"Did you see…?"

"He's from the mother's side."

"But he's a dead ringer of …"

Kurama smiled a small, acrid smile at the term "dead ringer." "Apparently," he said to Hiei, "the official story casts you in the mother's role." His bemused expression contrasted against Hiei's clouded one. "Your impalement has probably been eradicated, then."

"Hn." Hiei marveled at how carelessly Kurama mentioned his death. At the time, the redhead had been an inconsolable mess of hysterics and tears.

"I wonder now about my cause of death …"

"You succumbed to a quiet disease that ate away at your health," someone said. "I don't believe the name was ever specified, but it might have been cancer."

Startled, the Fox whirled around, and found himself face-to-face with Yuu Kaito. The latter studied him imperturbably, and lamented, "You just had to finish first at everything, didn't you?"

He blinked. "I—I see …" he murmured. "A disease, was it?"

"What are you doing here?" Hiei asked warily, looking Kaito up and down.

"Don't be so _short_," Kaito said, smirking as Hiei's eyes narrowed. "I _teach _here."

"Gods help the human race," the Koorime muttered. "You're all basically talking livestock as it is."

"So you're the farm-boy who lies with the sheep," Kaito retorted slyly.

Kurama coughed, disliking the comparison, but Hiei dismissed it with a snort. "Kurama's not really one of you," he stated, as though it rationalized everything.

"Still," the redhead protested, "Hiei …"

He stopped, though, when a woman he presumed was the nurse escorted Takashi out. The boy gaped at him. "Haunting?"

"Are you ill?" Kurama inquired, ignoring the question.

"No, they called home to say I was _fine_."

"Watch the sarcasm," Hiei grumbled. Kurama coughed again, but this time to keep from laughing at Hiei's hypocrisy.

Kaito was less discreet. "Now that my memory's refreshed, it all suddenly makes sense." His lips curled into a smug smile, as this observation appeared to displease both father and son.

Kurama covered his mouth. His gaze shifted from Hiei's annoyed face to passersby's stares, and his humor faded a little.

Disease … 'You just had to finish first at everything.'

'Kurama's not really one of you.'

They stared at him as if he was some extravagant foreigner. And ultimately, that was what he was. He was not of this world. He had died—apparently, of 'disease'—and left it years ago. But more so, this had _never _been his world; he was an immigrant. Would that 'disease' have killed him in his native body, in his native world?

'Haunting.'

* * *

"He needs a doctor," Shiori complained. "He's always had this inane phobia about doctors, they both have."

"Like me," Kurama commented.

"That's not funny," she said. "But he's the worst. Takashi's too stubborn for his own good sometimes."

Kurama shrugged. "Hiei has a pronounced stubborn streak in him, too," he rationalized. "But whether or not Takashi inherited his temper as well, I've yet to see."

Shiori raised an eyebrow. "Temper?"

"Hm? Oh, not in an abusive manner or anything like that. Hiei's just," Kurama smiled, "short with most people. But, I believe I told you that before."

"I've noticed," Shiori murmured. "His attitude, I mean." She frowned. "His personality's very … different from yours, Shuichi."

"What?" asked the other Shuichi, who had just come into the room. And then he saw Kurama. "Oh, sorry."

The Fox shook his head. "No, it's been your own name for sixteen years." An idea struck him. "I cold just go by Kurama," he said carelessly, "to lessen confusion. After all, it's what I've been doing in public."

"Sounds fine to me," Shuichi said earnestly.

They had forgotten that Shiori was present. "Shuichi was the name that I gave you," she protested to Kurama.

"Uh—I know that," he said, looking uncomfortable. "But an alternate name may be more practical. It grows confusing, with two people of the same name living in one house. And … We have to face the fact that Shuichi Minamino really shouldn't be strolling down the street, when he's"—Kurama shrugged helplessly—"well, dead."

"Never mind the fact that he's already been introduced to a few non-family members as Shuichi," Rikou noted. The name argument had gained volume, spilling into the adjoining room.

"He was Kurama a thousand years before he became Shuichi," Hiei countered.

"… To be honest," Kurama concluded, "I've gone so long without being called by that name, that it's semi-foreign to me now. It takes me longer to answer to it; you must have noticed."

It was obvious how painful this was for Kurama to say, and for Shiori to hear. Hiei, noting the desperate tone in Kurama's voice, swiftly rose from his seat and materialized beside the redhead. "Perhaps the Bat would like some company," he murmured, grabbing his mate's arm.

"What?" Hiei's proposition confused Kurama. "I spent the morning with Kuronue—"

"And seeing you again might encourage him to pull his lazy ass out of the sickbed." He tightened his hold on Kurama and pulled him out before any coherent farewells could be exchanged.

'Obvious interception,' Shuichi thought, but it was probably good to separate Kurama and Shiori right now.

Rikou passed him and Shiori on her way to the kitchen. Returning with a glass of juice, and sprite for Takashi, she glanced at Shiori, shrugged, and quoted, "A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet."

* * *

"Why should she be upset?" Takashi shrugged. "She already gave us his name, so let him call himself whatever he wants."

"She gave us the _family _name," Rikou argued. "And he doesn't want to go by the name _she _gave him anymore. Maybe it's … pride over convenience, or something."

Takashi shrugged again, and then gave her an aggravated look. "Your _thing _is hungry," he said. "It tried to take a bite out of me when I wasn't looking earlier."

Rikou looked over to her desk, where the _thing _writhed restlessly in its pot. "I'm a horrible parent," she lamented, walking up and examining it. "Look at it. It's pink!"

"I'd call it a dusty mauve."

"It's _supposed _to be burgundy." She sat down, staring at the bonsai death tree thoughtfully. "I need to buy more mice," she declared. "I keep forgetting. It's going to starve before I remember."

"Give it something from the fridge. It just needs meat, right? Nothing specific, right?"

"Right … I think. Maybe I should double-check with Kurama, now that I can."

"That's using your resources!"

"Yeah … But until then …" She rubbed the tree's "throat." Its coloring began to rapidly darken. "I cheat."

* * *

"What's in a name?" Kuronue asked indifferently.

"Well, what if I suddenly requested that you address me as Shuichi?" the redhead pointed out.

The Bat shrugged. "You would always be Kurama to me," he admitted.

"And I'll always be Shuichi to her." He shook his head remorsefully. "I shouldn't have proposed the whole name idea. That was stupid of me"

"It _is _a good idea," Kuronue said.

"I just don't think she ever fully adjusted to the idea of my being a demon," Kurama stated. "Save for the one time I took form as Yoko Kurama, I always appeared human to her."

"Yeah, and mother's sons often grow round with child," Hiei scoffed.

"That's beside the point, Hiei," he replied wearily. "I know that she wants it to be how it was before I died, but I can't give that to her."

Kuronue grabbed Kurama and clutched the latter to him. "You need to relax," he said, folding his wings around the redhead. "You, who lectures everyone about taking care of themselves, should really practice what you preach."

"Yeah," Hiei agreed, never mind that it was with Kuronue.

Kurama, too tired to defend himself or to concede, closed his eyes and leaned against Kuronue.

* * *

"I think Keiko's right," Yusuke decided. "You are crazy."

"You've seen them together," Kuwabara argued. "They're very _physical_."

"Have you been watching _soap operas _again? So they're affectionate. Big deal."

The two paused, hearing the voices of others nearby. "He's visiting him _again_," Kuwabara pointed out. "That's twice today."

"So, do you come here to keep Yukina company, or to look for an opportunity to spy?" Yusuke inquired coolly.

"If you had _heard—_."

"You've given in to this woman on every occasion since our return," Hiei said. His tone as not accusative, but mildly disapproving.

Yusuke looked triumphantly at Kuwabara. "Why would he be fooling around with Kuronue with Hiei in the room?"

"Hiei wasn't earlier," Kuwabara retorted.

Kurama's voice was heard, offering Hiei a soft, subdued reply.

"There is one trait about you, Kurama," Kuronue interjected, "that has become more pronounced since your transition to human form, and it's not necessarily a good thing."

Yusuke quirked an eyebrow. "What are they grilling him over?"

"You apparently have a tendency to grow more subservient toward another when you feel guilty—"

"Your spine dissolves when you're around her," Hiei threw in bluntly.

"How eloquent!" Kuronue spat angrily.

The eavesdroppers exchanged looks, and silently agreed to intervene before Bat and Koorime engaged in physical confrontation. "Hey, guys …" Yusuke said, opening the door.

Their intrusion earned a glare from Hiei, who was the object of an almost maliciously scrutinizing stare from Kuronue, who had his arms and wings wrapped around Kurama, who observed the entire situation with a tired eye. Yusuke gawked at the latter two, until a sharp "What?" from Hiei diverted his attention.

"Uh … Just sounded like, um, fight …"

"Everything's fine, Yusuke," Kurama assured. "As frustrated with each other, as they might be, it won't come to a violent head." He pulled himself from Kuronue's embrace, saying that he ought to go home and see about his son. "Hiei, I thin you should come home with me," he told the Koorime, before steeping out of the room.

Hiei made to follow, but stopped when he heard a clanking noise. Kuronue had drawn out his scythe, and was absently fingering it. "Hn," Hiei sneered. "You, of all people, should know that killing me would do no good."

"You're paranoid," Kuronue retorted. "Although _hurting _you has the high potential of being pleasurable … but consequently hurting Kurama would not." He shrugged, and then added, "You might be right, and he might know that you're right, but from now on I highly recommend that you show some tact in your word choice regarding him." Hiei glared at him, and he responded with a neutral stare, until Hiei finally turned and walked away.

* * *

"Uh, hey."

Kurama looked behind him, where Kuwabara stood. "Yes?"

"Uh … It's probably just my imagination, but—you and Kuronue…?"

"Are you ready to go?" Hiei inquired, having caught up with the Fox.

"Um, yes," Kurama replied, throwing Kuwabara a passing glance as he hastily followed Hiei outside.

* * *

Takashi was sound asleep when Rikou left for school, and showed no signs of waking when Shiori checked on him at ten.

No signs of life came from her son's room, either. Hiei and he hadn't gotten in until late last night. Their voices could be heard long after, conversing in low murmurs for some time through the night.

Finally, she went upstairs to check on the redhead and the Koorime—running into a freshly showered and dressed Shuichi as he was leaving the bedroom. "I was wondering how long you were going to sleep!" she exclaimed.

"Hiei and I were up late," Kurama replied. "Or early, depending."

"I know. You two must have had an,um, interesting conversation last night." At least, she _hoped _it had all been conversation.

"You could call it that," he said, though it hadn't _all _been conversation.

"Well, is Hiei up? I could make you two breakfa—"

"Hiei left," her son interrupted. "This morning."

Shiori stared. "What? Why?"

"Kuronue hasn't fully healed. He was Koenma's scout in the Makai before his injury. Hiei volunteered himself to replace Kuronue, for the time being."

He didn't appear particularly happy about, she noticed. "Well, I could still make _you _breakfast, if you want."

Kurama smiled, thankful for her attempt to cheer him up. "That would be nice, thank you."

After she left him, he went into Rikou's room. Takashi slept curled up on a pallet on the floor, the covers drawn tightly around him as though he were lying in a nest. Kurama knelt down and felt his forehead; its abnormal warmth matched the boy's flushed appearance. 'I hope you improve soon,' he thought. However, it shamed him that his concerns weren't centered on his sick child, but rather on Hiei.

* * *

"I thought that one of your wishes was to get to know our children," Kurama said, balking at Hiei's proposal.

"I will," the Jaganshi replied. "This will only be a temporary thing."

Kurama gave him a dubious look. "I … I don't want you to go," he said flatly, smoothing his hair anxiously.

"I understand your dedication to her," Hiei said suddenly. "But there is a difference between devotion and subservience. I hope that when I come back, you're able to differentiate."

The Fox's eyes flashed. "Hiei—"

"You are a demon, Kurama. You are not all the things that she thought you were. You need to stop your charades and let her know how it is."

"It's not that simple!" Kurama told him.

Hiei gave him an unruffled look, and said with a shrug, "You're a superb problem-solver; I'm sure you'll manage."


	12. Chapter XII

I've neglected this story for almost a year, so first up on my post-WIOOP? production list is giving this a much-needed update, with fortunately came quite easily to me. Hiei is absent in this chapter, as are Yusuke and Keiko, though at least the last two will have a role in the next chapter. As of now I'm not sure in which chapter Hiei will reappear, but it won't be too long.

* * *

Jagamino  
Chapter XII  
January 4, 2008

The door to the Kuwabara kitchen slid open and a wearied-looking Shizuru slipped in, instinctively sidestepping Haku and Yuki as they played, and flopped down unceremoniously at the table. "Don't say Hello," Kuwabara greeted sardonically. "Are you staying for dinner?"

"Eh."

"Rough day, Shizuru?" Yukina asked. She sat across from the female Kuwabara, feet propped up on the adjacent chair.

"Mr. Nagahara died," she answered flatly.

"… Oh," he brother replied. He guessed that happened in a nursing home time to time.

"And then he came back."

Yukina raised an eyebrow, while Kuwabara turned from doing the dishes. "Huh?"

She unconsciously reached for a cigarette, but noticed her sister-in-law and caught herself. "He was dead. And then he was alive again."

"Uh … good?" Shizuru shook her head. "Then what?"

"I'm not sure. I heard that he was dead for several minutes; that had to cause some damage. But I saw him today, and he didn't _feel_ right. I couldn't help thinking that maybe that was like what a zombie would feel like."

* * *

"I think we might have succeeded in running both of them off."

"You give us too much credit," Takashi said, munching on an apple. "Kurama just went to see that Makai scout guy, again."

"I know. I wonder if Hiei'll get laid up too now; who'll be the replacement's replacement?"

The redhead shrugged, polishing off and discarding the remnants of his apple. His stomach actually felt satiated. "Maybe Hiei can creep around better than Kuro… Kuro-whoever—that guy has wings, right? Not exactly an asset for creeping."

Rikou muttered a "Hn," and then perked up. "Hear that?"

Engine running. "Car," Takashi answered. He listened closer. Bad cylinder. "Kuwabara's car." He tensed. "_Shit_; we're not—?"

"Babysitting…" she finished warily, hopping off the bed.

"Don't forget," Takashi called after her, "I'm _sick_." One finger lingered at the door after the rest of Rikou disappeared from view.

However, it appeared that Kuwabara was alone. "So Kurama's already at the temple?"

Shiori nodded. "He went to visit his friend; the one that Hiei replaced."

"Ah. Kuronue."

"That's the one. I think Shuichi feels a little lonely; he's been going up there more since Hiei went to the demon world."

Kuwabara maintained an impassive expression. "Uh, maybe—Rikou, uh, do you guys want to come with Yukina and me?"

Pounding upstairs; before anyone had time to register that, Takashi was halfway down the stairwell. "_Yes_, I do—"

"No," Shiori practically barked, startling the other three people in the room a little. "You're sick."

"Of being inside all day," he protested. "Aside from that, I'm actually feeling better."

Finding his claim dubious, she held a hand to his face. "Too warm. You're staying in."

He actually looked crushed—but appeared less pitiful when he directed a Look at Shiori's back that to Kuwabara made him bear a disturbing resemblance to Hiei.

"What about me?" Rikou asked.

"You're not sick," was her only answer. (Takashi transferred his Look.)

"Um, okay then," Kuwabara said, a little afraid to look at the dejected twin. "Well, uh, Yukina's waiting in the car, so…."

* * *

"You look tense this evening," Kuronue commented, walking—his leg had healed to the point where he could put weight on it without swearing—closer to Kurama so that he could observe the redhead in more detail.

"Your pickup lines are still awful," Kurama replied matter-of-factly.

The Bat raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't pitching a line, and—you're a little sweaty." He tilted his friend's face upward and examined it intently. Glittering green eyes widened a little while indigo ones creased in smug knowledge. "So. Really missing Hiei, are we?" Kurama's expression betrayed guilt. "Not that I mind," he continued with a smirk. "Just change out of those human clothes, and—"

"As Hiei pointed out," interrupted the Fox, "this isn't an auspicious location."

Kuronue rolled his eyes and took a few steps back. "You know, I think that being humanized may have put you at risk for prudishness, 'Shuichi'."

It sounded so foreign on his tongue that Kurama laughed a little. "_You _once cautioned _me _not to underestimate humans, didn't you? This room would be in bad taste … but what about those trees out there?"

"For the record, I know nothing about human mating habits. I just know that they hate it when you raid their larders." He rolled back his shoulders, then threw the Kitsune a suggestive leer. "You know, if I were the petty, vengeful type, I think I'd let you taste your coyness from before—but why would I punish myself too? If you find looking up at a canopy more tasteful than at the ceiling, I don't mi—"

He swallowed the rest of his sentence, though, when Kurama grabbed him by the pendant and yanked him out the side door. The cord was digging into his skin. To think, Kurama had been laid more recently than he. "Ease up a little!" he gasped, holding his hands to his neck.

And then falling flat on his face once Kurama let go. "Sorry about that," a tenor voice murmured from above him. "Now, take off your clothes."

"Ugh." He rolled over, cocked his head to one side, and coughed out a mouthful of leaves. "Shit," he groaned. "You nympho."

His aches were forgotten, however, as a pair of hands grasped him by the shoulders and pulled him up, then slammed him back. He found himself wedged between a tree trunk and an excited, impatient-looking Youko Kurama. A hand clutched the back of his head, and crushed his lips to the pair opposite his. They tilted into a sensual smirk, before a curling tongue parted them. 'Hel-_lo_," he thought as it progressed to his. The Bat let himself go limp, as was advisable for anyone during sex with the legend.

Kurama pressed not only his mouth, but his entire body against Kuronue, as though trying to merge it into the winged demon's. Eventually he needed air, and pulled away a little, and then gripped his companion all the tighter to pull down on top of him. Both grunted loudly as they hit the ground. It didn't deter Kurama long; in practically the blink of an eye he reduced the function of his clothes to mere drapery, and was making swift work of undressing the other demon. The more moon-pale skin was exposed, the more pronounced the flush in each face became.

A whoosh noise could be heard as white "drapes" were discarded and flung against a nearby tree. Half-mast amber eyes locked with half-mast indigo eyes.

The Youko brushed aside his tail and spread his legs. Kuronue let instinct and experience take over.

* * *

"Usually," Yukina panted lightly, "I don't mind these steps, but I forgot how difficult they can get."

"I could carry you," offered Kuwabara. Prior experiences left the Koorime and Rikou knowing that he'd do it, too.

"No, it's fi—." She cut off, staring in bewilderment into the trees. A loud cry had just come out from them. "What was…?"

Rikou stared in the direction of the noise. She thought the she heard some lesser, familiar sounds, though she couldn't place them. "That big one sounded like some sort of animal."

"It sounded hurt," Yukina said anxiously.

Kuwabara furrowed his brow. "Yeah, maybe. You guys go on ahead; I'll go see…"

The noises that Rikou had heard became audible to the psychic as he made his way through the trees. Still in veterinarian mode, he thought over what perhaps the animal was injured with, and wondered how to approach it when found. It sounded like a larger creature making the sound.

And then he found the source.

No injured animal waited for him. Instead, he found two demons coupling. The concern of the veterinarian quickly collapsed into the embarrassment of an accidental voyeur. Thinking that he'd come upon a pair of Genkai's Makai immigrant, he wasn't able to turn away fast enough. But he paused. Something seemed familiar. He took a risk and faced the couple again. And he froze.

Writhing on the ground, moaning loudly, was Youko Kurama. One hand clawed at the ground and tree roots. The other disappeared in a tangle of loose, dark hair. This belonged to Koenma's injured scout, Kuronue—who'd apparently found an interesting form of physical therapy. Neither appeared to be aware that they were putting on a show.

Until: "HOLY SHIT!!!"

His shout made Kuronue glance up. The Bat's eyes widened to dish size, and he might have frozen had it not been for his accomplice, who seemed in his enthusiasm deaf to Kuwabara's interruption. Realizing that Kurama wasn't going to stop, or let Kuronue, the carrot top slinked away behind a mercifully broad tree. He stopped his ears with his fingers in an (unsatisfactory) attempt to block out the noise. What the hell had he been thinking, _wounded animal_?!

He wasn't sure how long it was before something brushed against him and caused him to jump. It was Kuronue's wing, and its owner, wearing pants now, stared at him with a strange look. "Uh … Sorry," he muttered. "I heard something, I thought it was an animal in pain…"

Kuronue was tying up his hair while listening. Frowning thoughtfully, he replied, "Maybe it was," and showed his back to the human. Since earlier that evening, it and his shoulders had acquired a multitude of scratches and teeth marks. "It's rough love a lot of the time with him, but other times he can employ these subtleties that are out of this—"

"_I don't want to hear that!_" Kuwabara yelled.

"Must you lose your composure over it?" Kurama, still as Youko, materialized beside the Bat, and handed him his vest. Looking directly at Kuwabara, the Fox continued, "I know you weren't expecting that; though, perhaps you were _suspecting_ it?" Much as he disliked to, Kuwabara conceded with a nod. "Then why scream like a child who's walked in on his parents?"

"I wasn't _screaming_—What does it matter if I was? I thought you were with _Hiei_, or did I just imagine Rikou, who by the way is up at the temple right now, and Takashi, who's home _sick_."

Kurama looked tired, or perhaps it was just post-coitus drowsiness. Nothing is wrong with my son," he replied, leaning up against a tree trunk. "And when I came earlier, both my children were to my knowledge at home and nowhere near here. You were the one who changed that." Kuwabara began to argue when Kurama added, "Hiei knows."

This revelation made the carrot top choke. "W-WHAT? You've gotta be kidding me!"

"He's not jesting," Kuronue offered calmly. "Hiei is actually the author of our arrangement: I have my Youko, and he has his Shuichi."

Kuwabara looked at his vulpine friend. "You … Puh … Polygamy…."

"Polyandry."

He stared for a moment or two. "Huh?"

"Polygamy refers to having multiple female consorts while Kuronue and Hiei are both males—'andro'—, so you mean 'polyandry' and not 'polygamy'."

"I wonder what you call it when you have both?" murmured Kuronue thoughtfully. "Just 'polyamorous'…?"

He didn't say anything. Kurama had corrected him, as though they were in school discussing some sort of academic matters, instead of _this_. The dispassionate manner in which the Fox conducted his part of the conversation seemed very unlike the friend that Kuwabara knew before. "So—the Shrimp okayed this?"

"As Kuronue said, this was Hiei's idea. I'm not betraying him." Sounding a bit more like himself, Kurama emphasized, "I _couldn't _betray him. You should know that."

Feeling his face go red, Kuwabara mentally revisited all his prior causes to doubt his suspicions. Suspicions which had just been confirmed. Shaking his head, he replied, "I'm sorry, Kurama, but—this is really, really _weird_…"

"Kazuma?"

Only two people called him that, and it wasn't bossy enough to be his sister.

"Kazuma, did you find the animal?"

Clearing his throat, Kuronue called out, "I, Kuronue, am the animal, I suppose. I was flying, and suddenly felt fatigued and went down, and got scratched up by the trees in the process. How fortunate that right now there are so many people nearby with healing knowledge, isn't it?"

* * *

The car was relatively quiet on the way back. In front were Yukina, who was tired, and Kuwabara, who was still digesting what had happened. Kurama appeared to be dozing against a passenger window, and was either oblivious to or ignoring the fact that Rikou's eyes were fixated on him. "You feel funny," she finally remarked.

"Oh?" She must have detected the shift in his energy from earlier. "I do feel a little funny." It was a sensation that occurred almost immediately after he switched back. He didn't feel sick per se, but it certainly wasn't invigorating.

Rikou wasn't done. "So is Kuronue a klutz or something?"

He considered it, but shook his head. "Hardly. Sometimes he can't or shouldn't use his wings, and he tries anyhow." Her question and his answer were broad enough that no one had actually spoken falsely.

Kuwabara noted this convenience. But he'd already known that Kurama was a master of "vague." Hell, the guy had managed to put off telling them that he was _dying _for half a year, without actually lying per se…

Shuichi sat on the couch reading when parent and child were dropped off. "Hey." To Kurama, he said: "Your other one's _pissed _that he was left."

"Why was he?"

"Mom said he felt warm."

Kurama frowned a little. "Hiei usually feels warm by human comparison also."

Footsteps on the stairs; Takashi and Tohru Yamamoto jumped the last few steps, and then turned and looked at the new arrivals. "Enjoy the evening air?" the redhead asked sourly. "It felt nice through the window, which was the closest I got to it, because _I wasn't allowed out_."

"So what do you want me to do about it?" Rikou asked indignantly.

"Yeah, well…" He turned on Kurama instead. "_You. _You're here now; why don't you step up a little?"

There was an accusatory tone in his voice. "I'll consider it," replied the Kitsune with a raised eyebrow.

Shuichi snorted. "I think Mom was within her bounds; you look like you've been drinking."

Takashi unconsciously rubbed his face, which indeed was flushed a light pink in the cheeks. "I didn't ask you," he growled.

"So they think twice about crossing their matriarch," Tohru shrugged. "_No one _wants to cross one of those. You know that Mr. Urameshi and my mom used to work together for a while, and _he _wouldn't even mess with her."

"Someone's gotta keep your brothers in line," snickered Rikou, while Takashi could be heard muttering, "Thank you, Benedict Tohru," in a testy voice.

"Benedict? _Benedict? _What the hell is a Benedict? That doesn't even sound Japanese. Is that an import or something?"

Stifling a laugh, Kurama clarified: "It is, To—Tohru?" The sandy-haired boy nodded, watching him attentively. "Essentially, he was calling you a traitor."

"Oh, is that so?" demanded Tohru, stepping out of the older redhead's way so that he could go upstairs. "Takashi, you ingrate, see if I grace your sickbed—uh, sick-pallet?—with my presence again anytime soo—." He paused, took a step back, shook his head a little as though to clear it. His rant's target gave him a curious look. Gathering himself, he exclaimed "Awesome, Flamer, now I'm nauseous. You literally make me sick!"

Someone like Kaito could only do so much to counter the examples set by Yusuke and Kuwabara, though an amused Kurama. All of the downstairs banter rose and was perfectly audible on the second floor hallway.

The door to his parents' room was partially ajar, and the light was on. He knocked. "Yes?"

"We're back," he announced, stepping inside.

"Is your friend any better?" inquired Kazuya.

He nodded. "I'd like to introduce you to him sometime; I don't know if you've ever met a demon that couldn't mingle inconspicuously with humans." Pressing his lips together thoughtfully, he continued, "On the subject of demons and humans, there is something I would like to discuss…"

* * *

I'm probably being inconsistent with language references, I know. "Benedict," ending with a "t," obviously isn't a Japanese word (I notice that most of them, when Romanized at least, end either with a vowel or an "n"), and Tohru would note that. Same thing with the potato head joke—"Jagamino" is a combination of "Jaganshi" and "Minamino," but I've been told that in Japanese a similar-sounding word, "jagaimo," means "potato."

Of course, Takashi taking the English word "fag" and forming the acronym Flexible And Gorgeous from it doesn't quite coincide with everything else, but one could argue that at least some students at a school like Meiou would be bilingual, eh?


	13. Chapter XIII

I had wanted to make another installment of this story over my break, but alas that did not happen (though finishing one story, starting another, and reviving the updates on yet another isn't that bad, eh?). Although, I'm just back at the school; my classes don't actually start until Wednesday, so maybe this still counts, hehe.

Yusuke's back in this chapter, though Keiko still needs some face time. I promise she will definitely be getting some time here soon! And Hiei reappears, briefly; more of him coming soon as well. Things will be shifting a little in the next chapter.

* * *

Jagamino  
Chapter XIII  
January 21, 2008 

Kurama peered through the cracked door into where Rikou and Takashi both slept. Satisfied, he then looked back down the hall at the door to his parents' room, where he'd prefer not to return to tonight, then at his own door. Minor irritation at Hiei for volunteering himself as Kuronue's substitute flared up in him. Right now solitude wasn't what he craved.

Sound rose from the television downstairs. He had forgotten Shuichi.

His brother glanced his way as he slipped into the living room. "Hey," acknowledged the (sort of) younger man, sitting up so that he might also sit on the couch. "Does the afterlife get cable?"

Such a question achieved a small smile on Kurama's lips. "The prince of Spirit World has a television in his office, believe it or not."

"Are you serious?" The Fox nodded. "So, what was all that about up there?"

Earlier's uncomfortable expression returned. "I left a lot of things unsaid before, so I addressed a few of them." After a pause, he shared: "The demo at the temple, Kuronue, is my lover." He awaited his brother's reaction.

Shuichi didn't take long to give him a weird look, accompanied by the inquiry, "What about Hiei?"

"Hiei is the father of my children," he answered quickly. "I love him. Perhaps a better description would be to say that Kuronue is Yoko Kurama's lover."

As before, Shuichi didn't take long to give a response. "O-kay," he said with a shrug, indicating that he accepted, if a little cautiously, the redhead's explanation. "So, he's got wings, right? Do you guys, uh, ever do anything with that…?"

Kurama's eyes widened, as he was sure Shuichi didn't refer to flight. "He … prefers my tail," he answered in a low voice, actually missing the "comfort" of the discussion upstairs.

* * *

"Kuwabara, I need to bum off your vet resources for something." 

"Like what?" the carrot top asked, giving Yusuke a curious look.

The former detective set a cage on the table. "Exterminate this wire-gnawing balls-dragging disease-carrying bastard NOW. He's been driving me and Keiko nuts."

Kuwabara scrutinized the cage's resident "bastard," a large rat. "It's called _euthanasia_," he grumbled, "not extermination. And I'm trying to avoid euthanizing anything right now, let alone a common rat."

"It's not _common_," Yusuke whined. "It's Super Rat or something. I even used the damn Spirit Gun for crying out loud."

"You're joking."

"By the way, I need your help fixing a window … and a wall." The vet gawked at him. "Yeah. It just. Won't. _Die._"

Yusuke looked dead serious. "Okay, fine," Kuwabara conceded. "But I can't help you with the rat right now; I don't want a hand in any _Pet Sematary _stuff going on."

"Uh—then where are you supposed to bury them?"

"I'm talking about zombies, Urameshi." Now Yusuke gawked. "I don't know—Eikichi's still hanging around, and Shizuru was telling me about this guy at the nursing home and shit..." He shrugged. " 'The veil has been torn down' or something like that, right?"

"That's what Batman said," the brunette muttered. Kuwabara coughed. "What?"

"Remember what I said before, about him and Kurama?"

"Quit watching ___Chuuou Hospital_."

"There wasn't anything else on, stop making me sound like its biggest fan!" Exchanging his agitated expression for a more solemn one, he continued: "I caught them together, in the trees by Genkai's. They were doing it," he added before Yusuke could make light of it. "And Shorty gave the okay."

His friend stared open-mouthed. "Did—Did Kurama tell you that?" He nodded. "Uh … _Wow. _Fox-boy never struck me as a player sort."

"You think I like that he struck me as that sort? And the way that he acted, it was like I was dumb for thinking anything weird was going on or something. There's something different about the way he behaves sometimes. Maybe being dead for so long made him forget how he used to act, or something."

Yusuke shrugged. "Hiei still seems the same—still can't stand the Human World and all." He smirked. "And I'll bet that he still wants to kill you, especially since seeing Yukina lately, huh?"

"Shut up, Urameshi!" Kuwabara was actually a little anxious over what Hiei thought about that. "So." He pushed aside thoughts of the former dead and examined Yusuke's zombie Super Rat. "You ever thought about just leaving him in the cage?"

"I don't know. I guess…" The detective perked. "If someone pissed me off, he's got a date with a toilet."

* * *

"This piece of shit's lying!" growled Takashi, glaring in frustration at the thermometer. 

"Calm down," Shiori said, taking it from him. "You're still warm."

"_I _feel fine; _it's _broken."

Kurama observed the argument from his place at the table. "Do you recall what I said last night?"

"You mean about how you're a polyandrist?"

The inquirer was Takashi. He stared, wondering who the boy had heard it from. "Poly—" he began, until he realized that the younger redhead had actually used the correct word. "That's not what I meant. I think that the spike in body temperature might simply be a demonic matter, rather than an illness. Hiei's and Yukina's body temperatures differ from that of most humans."

Takashi quickly pounced on this rationalization. "Rikou's average is 95." Then he frowned. "Of course, I think that Kenji's is somewhere around there, too."

"Either way, you're staying home again at least for today."

His frown deepened as Shiori said this, but he was tired of resisting, so instead left to remind Rikou before she left to find out what he was missing, again.

"I don't like keeping him in like this," Shiori told Kurama. "It's driving him crazy, I know." Her son nodded. "What do you think caused the pain he was feeling before?"

"There's different possibilities," he murmured. Poking at his breakfast, he inquired, "Do they both know what I told Kazuya and you last night?"

"I think so. Rikou made a comment this morning about Jerry Someone…"

Wonderful, thought the Fox. "That wasn't my ideal." His mother nodded. "… Last night wasn't my ideal, either."

The reference made her fidget a little. "All the same, we're glad that you didn't keep it a secret."

Hesitating a moment, Kurama broached a previous subject. "Perhaps you should meet Kuronue." Though he had given voice to the thought in passing before, this time he was serious. Shiori reacted as though this were the former. "I'm going to visit him again today," he pressed. "Should you wish to join me…" Leaving her to think on it, he cleared his place and sought out his son.

Takashi was found wedged upon the windowsill in Rikou's room. "Plotting a jailbreak?" Kurama's joked.

"Huh?" The boy twisted around to look at him.

"Nothing." He noted with some amusement the boy's position. Hiei had lounged that way many a time, but due to a more elongated frame it didn't look quite as casual for Takashi. "Wouldn't you prefer a chair, or the bed?"

"If I sit too long, my ass will hurt. If I lie too long, my back will hurt. This is a compromise, and since Rikou is gone, I can just fall out the window if that thing over there decides to be vicious."

Puzzled, Kurama looked over there to see what that thing might be. He raised an eyebrow. "What is that?"

"You know what that is." That was the bonsai death tree. "It started as an experiment, but she decided that she liked it, so now it's a pet." He enunciated the last word with some sarcasm. "Should keep her from having many stalker problems, at least. But it's had it in for _me_ ever since I gave it frostbite—Which, by the way, was purely accidental. I was younger and inexperienced, but that thing holds a grudge better than anyone I've ever met. It _hates _me." Judging from the look he gave the plant, the feeling was more or less mutual.

"Interesting," Kurama murmured, studying it. There was a feeling of familiarity, but of course its seed must have come from his own stock. "Your temperature," he changed the subject, "and that pain you were feeling. Perhaps you should see a demon doctor." Takashi shrugged his shoulders. "And, my friend Kuronue—"

"I could really care less," interrupted the younger redhead. "He was your lover in the Makai, right? That was way before Hiei. It's just sort of strange that the three of you are around simultaneously is all."

The Kitsune knotted his brows, then nodded. "All right." Not quite what he'd expected, but good point. Observing his son's position again, he commented, "Hiei lounges like that a lot, too," before leaving the boy in peace.

* * *

"Do you see anything?" Mukuro asked. 

Staring a moment or two longer before answering, Hiei shook his head, then closed and wrapped the Jagan. "She may as well be dead."

"She" wasn't the first that Mukuro had seen inthis stare. Lifeless, but still with a pulse. Unlike the others, this one carried a scent that, though faint, the warlord easily placed. Rotted flesh. "Whatever Ukime's disciple did with the Forlorn Hope, its fruition was malformed."

Hiei grunted in agreement. "What do you want done with her?"

Rotted flesh, and yet Mukuro saw no trace of decay on her. "Let her be. Locust shells are harmless, but can be interesting to observe."

* * *

At least Kurama could have better prepared him, Kuronue reflected with agitation. One thing to bring along the infamous "Mother" for introductions. Another to discreetly inform him that the mystification needed eradicating from his image, suddenly duck out to visit with the ice apparition and the former spirit detective's wife, and leave the Bat with the realization that he'd been set up on the informative end of a Q-and-A. "He always was the stealthy one," he complained aloud, and then he noted the woman with whom he'd been left. "You're uncomfortable." 

Though Shuichi had correctly said that Kuronue couldn't pass as human, he was by no means monstrous. Looking at him, Shiori could tell was he was commenting as much to himself as to her. "I don't even know Hiei that well," she replied. "And suddenly I learn about you."

Kuronue shrugged. "He must have decided to go in reverse order." She didn't seem especially amused. "Believe it or not, I can empathize a little. I met my own predecessor while he oversaw our regeneration. He rules over a third of the Makai; do you have any idea how intimidating that can be?" No reply. Of course his being a demon was probably formidable enough. "I met Kurama shortly after he and Yomi … broke up. We were fellow patrons at an establishment." Should he tell her it was a brothel? "Or rather, we would have been but for a mix-up. Some fellow chased after us for a few days wanting payment for something neither of us did. Ours was a circumstantial alliance, originally. We just didn't part ways after." She didn't seem so alarmed—wise of him to leave out the more sexual parts—, which he took to be good.

"Maybe my observations are restricted by my being confined to this temple, but there appear to be at least a few human and demon couples around that you must have seen. We're not tremendous deviants in that aspect—if you expect something spectacular like starving for the other or personal dimensions, I'm sorry to disappoint you. Kurama and I are typical, or at least as typical as _we _can ever be: banter, bicker, nurse, … _sex_—normal."

Not as blunt as Hiei, she thought. But would she have gotten this much from the Jaganshi, if he'd stuck around?

Kuronue's last description intrigued her. "Normalcy was never a quality I associated with Shuichi," she admitted. "Even before I found out about Hiei or the Demon World and the Spirit World or the children. He was always so smart, and… I still wonder where his hair came from…"

"It's not a bad change," the Bat said with a shrug. "Your affect on him has made things interesting."

Make what things interesting? "And what about Hiei being in the picture?"

Smirking, Kuronue answered, "The addition of your grandchildren's father has also been interesting. He's an ass at times, but usually his company's enjoyable. There are no threesomes, mind you." He wasn't oblivious to what could be going through her mind. "I keep the Yoko and Hiei Shuichi. But I would like to think that we enjoy an enriched triadic camaraderie, when Hiei's in an agreeable way."

Somewhere in there, he hoped, was a combination of bluntness and tact that achieved a suitable balance. His interviewer, though she's said little, looked thoughtful.

As thought having listened from out of sight (as Kuronue suspected), now that the Bat had finished Kurama presently reappeared. "Yukina's getting big," he exclaimed innocently, eyeing the other two as though nothing extraordinary had transpired.

Kuronue played along. "It's difficult to imagine you having ever been that size."

He would make Kurama pay him back later.

* * *

The atmosphere in the car seemed a little less concentrated on the way home. Kurama would have to pay him back later. 

"Do Hiei and he bicker a lot?" Shiori asked.

He wondered how to answer. The description of "an enriched triadic company" had been eloquent… "Well, not harmfully. Death threats have no potential for achievement where we usually reside. I think that they'd redirect their threats to me if I made this comparison within earshot, but you have I'm sure observed how Yusuke and Kuwabara behave."

"Or Rikou and Takashi," she confirmed. "And Kenji, and Tohru, and Shuichi…" They'd reached the house. "Lunch will be late today. Can you tell him that it'll be ready in a little bit?"

There was only one other "him" in the house at this time of the day. Kurama obeyed, but stopped when he reached the threshold of the room upstairs.

Takashi was gone.

* * *

Chuuou Hospital would also be known as _Central Hospital_, a knock-off I made of _General Hospital_. I got the idea for the half-Japanese and half-English title from one of SPS-kun's Sensui/Itsuki stories on adultfanfiction(dot)net under the name SirPsychoSexy, "It Takes All Kinds." 

The incident that Kuronue recalls in part during the interview with Shiori is actually the subject of the story I just recently started, "Lunar Effect." Yes, that is shameless advertising, but I won't force anyone to check it out if they don't want, ha-ah. Anyway, reviews are as always appreciated, and I shall try to produce an update for this sometime soon.


	14. Chapter XIV

This is one of those transitional chapters, I think. I apologize for its short length, but I found its conclusion too good an ending note, and didn't want to disrupt the flow of the overall content. The next chapter will probably be longer.

* * *

Jagamino  
Chapter XIV  
January 29, 2008 

"Your grandmother can be the matron when she wants, huh? Probably the aftereffects of something that he ate. It's his own fault for being such a glutton."

"His appetite's tempered a little now," Rikou interjected. "And he's not clutching his stomach yelling anymore. Now he's just warm."

"Speaking of bad food," Tohru continued, nodding an acknowledgement of the update on the absent Jagamino's health, "I dreamt last night that I was eating a rat. A big, oily, freaking rat. Raw—I think that it was still part-alive in my mouth."

Green eyes closed, trying to quarantine and eradicate the mental image consequential of the tawny-haired boy's recollection. Greasy grimy rodent guts. "Thanks for sharing, Tohru." She transferred her attentions to their other companion, who had been silent for the lunch hour's (misleading name; it might have been forty minutes long) entirety. "While we're at it, do you have anything grodey you'd like to tell, Purple Pride?"

Kenji responded with a withering look that she somehow survived. "No," he added curtly. Sure, he had something grodey—but he wasn't about to tell someone with a long history of unsympathetic tongue that he'd had another dream early that morning about their brother.

Not the most patient with the perpetually stormy, as her "bluenette" friend had recently taken to being, Rikou replied, "Lighten up. You're beginning to remind me of someone who ran away."

He let the comment (insult?) roll off him. In any case, she and the rat-eater left him alone for the remainder of the day. After Meiou's last classes let out, Kenji paused an unspoken moment with Rikou while they beheld the spectacle of Tohru baiting Buma. (Takashi sorely needed to come back and resume his duties.) Before anyone (most likely Tohru, at the rate it was going) began to bleed, he withdrew and boarded a bus driving in the direction of another school. His father was teaching a late afternoon theology class; Kenji was supposed to meet him after.

Usually he was early, and had ten to twenty minutes of idle time. Today not being an exception, he wandered the hallway of Christianity I's floor, and eventually settled down by a window overlooking the courtyard. Nearby he could hear fragments of his father's lecture on resurrection, but is sun-drenched seat made him too drowsy to pay much mind. He considered taking a short nap, and though at first that he had gone to sleep when something fiery looking approached his side with an abstract quietude that one correlates with sketchy dreams. Perhaps he had been half-asleep during the new arrival, and that was his start when a familiar voice inquired:

"Were you up all night masturbating or something? The skin under your eyes matches your hair, pretty much."

The initiator of such indiscretion was Takashi. Instead of asking what should have come first to mind: "How did you get out?" Kenji went with the more immediate matter: "How did you get up here?"

"Security doesn't seem to notice me much," Takashi answered nonchalantly. "Your dad has a class right now, right?"

He only recalled the redhead coming here with him a handful of times. Good memory, he guessed. "Yeah." Scrutinizing his friend, he said, "You don't look so sick to me."

"You think I was faking?" demanded Takashi. "I didn't really feel great, in the beginning, but that's passed, mainly, and I've been begging her to let me out."

It clicked easily enough. "You busted out?"

"_No_; I followed someone's advice."

Still sounded shady to him. "And the first thing you do is track me down. Should I be flattered?"

"Actually, the first thing I did was get an ice cream."

Typical. Kenji rolled his eyes. "Thought you'd gotten fat since last time I saw you."

A crimson eyebrow twitched. "_Thanks _… Purple Pride."

Now he twitched. His father's lesson became audible again, and he groaned. "He's taking freakin' forever…"

"Then come away with me for a while," Takashi proposed. Kenji gave him a skeptical look. "I already broke out; I can't go back just like that. Do you have any idea what it's like to be cooped up for that long?"

Kenji had a guess—Takashi was acting like a ball of energy overdue for being tossed around. He immediately blocked out secondary thoughts that sprang from the accidentally suggestive analogy. Humoring the antsy redhead, he suggested, "There's an arcade two streets over..."

* * *

Kurama should have felt guilty for the accidental suggestion that he'd given his son. Instead, he felt guilty over his absence of guilt for the matter in which he was at least partially guilty. "He's been more energetic than what I've recently observed," the Fox rationalized to his mother. "Perhaps he went for a walk." 

"If he's going to run off at least he could leave a note," Shiori lamented.

"Right, so you know when to warm up for yelling at him," Shuichi remarked dryly.

"I wouldn't be so angry if he'd left at least some information. It's just rude to do something so abrupt without warning."

Another twinge of guilt, though Kurama had to think a moment before locating the source of this one. "I doubt that he's in any danger, at least."

"Yeah, Mom; he's like the fastest runner I've ever seen." Cracking a smirk, Shuichi joked, "Maybe he went out for ice cream or something," Shiori gave him an irked look.

Not long after, Rikou arrived home with Tohru in tow. Immediately they were asked if they'd seen any trace of Takashi, but both answered in the negative. "He probably got sick of looking at the inside of the house," remarked the girl with a shrug, passing a wafer to her cohort.

"Try not to worry so much," Kurama told his mother, mentally emphasizing that first word, "try." "He'll come home when he wants dinner." Three of the room's occupants laughed. Though she didn't join in, Shiori at least looked a little less worried. Not much could be done until Takashi returned from the lam, anyhow.

Meanwhile Tohru sat down beside the present redhead. "So _where _did the other one go, anyhow?" the boy asked, nibbling on his wafer. It had a cylindrical shape, and he held it like a cigarette between his fingers as he brought it to his mouth.

"The other?"

"Cousin Hiei," Rikou quickly supplied. "He left for his business so quickly that I never did learn exactly where it was he had gone."

All right, covering this wouldn't be hard at all. "That's right—he's running a business errand for his boss. Right now we're unsure of how long that will take…."

He trailed off as he noticed the new closeness between his young human companion and himself. Was Tohru _smelling _him?

Rikou quickly noticed as well. "Boundaries, Neanderthal!" she reprimanded, grabbing a handful of sandy hair and pulling its owner a couple of feet back with the same gruffness that one might take with an overly friendly dog. Kurama could not help but wince a little, strange though the boy's behavior may have been.

From his new location Tohru blinked a few times, bit off another piece of wafer, and then resumed his conversation, if in a tone slightly altered. "You've struck me as more vulnerable without him," he said, his manner more…

Familiar, Kurama decided, in both senses of the word. Even so, he was bothered by the inability on his part to more properly identify it.

* * *

"Your sense of direction's worse off than a drunk dyslexic duck's," Takashi accused. 

"Wait—what? Never mind." Muddled as it was, he knew the tone of an insult. "Lay off; it's been a while since I went." Plus he was starting to feel a little nauseous. "Are you sure that you're not sick anymore?" If the answer was anything short of "Yes" he was going to kick the redhead's ass.

"Uh—Fairly?"

" '_Fairly?_'"

Takashi nodded. He would have adamantly defended the soundness of his health, except for his feeling warmer than was comfortable suddenly. "I do have to leave a margin of error that maybe—_maybe_—my grandma was right to keep me home." Kenji gave him a look that was a complex mixture of vicious and nauseated. "Wait—are you feeling okay?"

"I swear, you've got to be the most fucking dense _moron_, with mashed potatoes for brains, Jagamino!"

That'd be a yes: Kenji's insults were usually better constructed. He paused to consider their surroundings. There was a park near the university Mr. Kazuno taught at, but he didn't recall it being so large. Now he looked closely at his friend and raised an eyebrow. Kenji really didn't look so good. "Are you an asthmatic?" he asked (feeling like an ass, since he shouldn't have had to ask) as the blue-haired boy's hands had come to the juncture of his chest and throat. Kenji shook his head (well, he wasn't so much an ass, then), but soon dissolved into a fit of coughing. 'Oh _shit_…' He thought a moment. What would Yukina do…?

Common sense, _duh_—maybe his friend's throat was swollen, and if so—. Quickly he wrapped one arm round Kenji's shoulders and with the other placed a cool hand against the other boy's throat. This was harder than it should have been; his temperature was proving unusually noncompliant. Maybe he _should _have paid Shiori more mind.

Nothing was happening. 'Cell phone would have come in handy right now.' "Kenji,"—he wished he knew what the hell he should be looking for—"can you swallow?" No answer. "Hey, Cucumber Cock!" Kenji looked like he was going to pass out. The boy swayed; Takashi stumbled trying to brace him.

Something crunched under the redhead's foot. He automatically looked down, and just as automatically lunged forward, accidentally toppling over and landing on top of the gasping Kenji. "Are you having a panic attack?" he fished. No answer. Moving so that he could elevate Kenji's head in his lap, he looked back at the thing he'd stepped on. It reminded him of some paintings he'd seen before by Georgia O'Keefe: at first glance, it looked like a cow's skull. Except it had a spar eye and few pairs of horns more than the typical cow did.

_Oh. _Suddenly it made more sense, though the realization was disheartening.

Kenji's sense of direction didn't suck ass. They had stumbled into the infamous Demon World. And Kenji wasn't a sudden asthmatic or having a panic attack or anything like that, no—Unlike him, Kenji was a human, a typical human. For which the Makai air may as well be poison…


	15. Chapter XV

I apologize if anything in this chapter seems choppy; the events spill over into the next installment and I tried to keep things fluid, but I think I might have come up short. Nevertheless I do hope the chapter's enjoyable, and I should have the next one up soon (anyone want to encourage me, hehe?).

Oh, and also, I would like to take a line or a few to do some shameless promoting for a few stories, should anyone like to check them out. Here in the fandom we have Hiei08's stories, "Captured!," "The Aftermath," and "Rescuing Hiei"; and the cracktastic "Conception" by sobdasha (Karasu/Hina, excellent IC, it is good!). And then my friend HaneKaede has a story on fictionpress called "Fusion" that has some promise. Um, okay, promos done.

Now, story!

* * *

Jagamino  
Chapter XV  
February 28, 2008

"No, haven't seen him … Yeah, I'll keep an eye out; do you need help looking?" Yusuke paused, waiting for an answer. He smirked, and replied, "Oh, I see how it is. Well, call me if you need me … Bye." He hung up and gave Keiko a quasi-amused look. "Well shit—Fox-boy hasn't been with his kids in sixteen years, and here he comes back and _loses _one." Keiko raised an eyebrow. "Takashi's missing," he explained. "Kenji too. Humans are driving around and they have Kuronue out flying. Too bad Hiei's in the Makai. He'd probably find them quicker than anyone else."

Keiko shook her head contemplatively. "I still don't understand why he was so quick to leave."

"There might be a few reasons…" Yusuke held up a finger. "Hiei's always hated the Human World in general. But more specifically," he held up a second finger, "Kurama's family is here, and I don't think he's your average son-in-law, brother-in-law type." Third finger. "Also, Yukina's here, and _pregnant_, and I _know _that he isn't your average brotherly type." Fourth finger. "And his kids are here, and I guess that he's—not very paternal."

"How responsible," she said a little sardonically.

Despite his understanding why Hiei might have left, Yusuke was inclined to agree. "I guess it's … not really fair, huh? He has his kids, and now that he could be with them, he isn't. Even Kurama … I think he's kept closer watch over Batman than he has over Takashi." Uncomfortable with what he was currently feeling, he tried his best to shrug it off. "Well, Short-stuff might have the Jagan, but Kuwabara might be able to at least pick up Takashi."

* * *

Kuwabara couldn't. "Sometimes I can pick up demons and other psychics from miles away," he said, "and I can almost always sense him and Rikou. Now, though…" He shrugged apologetically. "Nothing."

"What does that mean?" Shiori inquired.

During this conversation Kuronue and Kurama had appeared outside the psychic's kitchen door. "He might not be in this world anymore," Kuronue volunteered in answer.

Both humans jumped. Though Kuwabara had sensed them coming, he'd been preoccupied, and so was as startled as Shiori to see Yoko Kurama, wearing a large winged plant on his back. However, he recovered more quickly. "So what do you think, that he's dead or something?"

Noting the resulting look on Shiori's face, Kurama hastily said, "Unlikely. Dying, in the conventional sense at least, isn't a possibility right now. Possibly he may be unconscious, or … perhaps he has crossed over into the Makai." He knew that this latter suggestion wouldn't to his mother improve astronomically on what Kuwabara had said.

She quickly confirmed this. "What do you mean 'crossed over'?" Kurama and Kuwabara quickly elaborated. "So your son just decided to take a vacation with demons?"

"With other demons," the Kitsune murmured. "If that is what happened, it was most likely an accident. He would realize it soon enough. I don't think he'd experience severe harm, but if Kenji is with him…"

"The Makai air is poisonous to the common human lungs," Kuronue finished. "Give it a few decades without the old barrier, and its toxicity may start to thin out. Right now, however, the human's position isn't favorable."

Shiori's face paled while Kuwabara's clouded. Meanwhile Kurama's ears laid back a little, his features tightened slightly. "If that is the case," he said softly, coolly, "then I'm sure that the Makai patrols will find and take care of the boy. Kuronue and I saw … the consequences of Ukime's actions against the Spirit World."

"Zombies?" Kuwabara offered.

"Larger worries," Kurama murmured.

His mother raised an eyebrow. "Than?"

He didn't immediately answer. "Broader worries," he revised, looking conflicted.

* * *

Before today Takashi hadn't encountered many examples of non-humanoid demons. Neither had he encountered any, humanoid or no, with malicious motives against him. He couldn't be sure if they deemed him weak and so a target, or if they were attracted to his companion. The ban on harming humans was still upheld, but he supposed that taking many demons' life spans into consideration two decades was nothing, probably not enough to fully adjust.

Whatever the case, he was holed up with Kenji now, keeping an ear open for anything approaching too closely. He didn't feel well, and attributed it to energy lost as he fed it into his friend. Regular humans couldn't survive long in the Makai, he knew, and he hoped that this might supplement the blue-haired boy's durability, until…

… How could any patrol happen upon them, if they were stowed away in a hole? He groaned.

Kenji mimicked the sound and shifted against him. Absently he patted the other boy's hair, and then touched the back of his hand to his face. Which felt hotter? He groaned again, and leaned back against the wall of their hole, trying and failing to get comfortable.

Something made his body tense up painfully. He looked around, but the hole was vacant save for Kenji and himself. It was above, outside.

Footsteps. Gradually he released his unconscious friend and eased toward the hole's entrance. All of his humor had disappeared some time before. Just being in this world seemed deteriorating to both of them, and its inhabitants weren't helping the situation. His forehead creased, his jaw tightened, and he crouched by the entry, waiting.

A head materialized above him. He didn't register anything about it other than it was a demon's, and pounced.

* * *

"Where'd your cousin go?" Tohru inquired wistfully.

"… She's working on a project," Rikou answered. "With her boyfriend." His face fell. "If it makes you feel better, she's not strictly monogamous."

Tohru looked shocked by this revelation. "She—didn't strike me as that ty-_yipe_…" He'd been leaning against the desk, but had caught sight of the miniature Death Tree and recoiled.

"You've barely spoken to her," Rikou said skeptically. "How would you know what 'type' she is?"

She didn't receive an immediate answer. "Is that thing _sentient?_" he demanded, eyeing the plant suspiciously.

"Plants are living—Did you just say 'sentient'?"

"Huh?" He stepped away from the desk; gaze still focused on its occupant. "No, she just seemed … like someone who could become so fixed on someone else…"

Rikou rose and poured the contents of the bowl she'd brought upstairs into the Death Tree's pot. Whoever prepared dinner tonight would be pleased to find the meat ready and its mess already disposed of. "That's too broad. You just described someone who could be a passionate lover, or a stalker."

"Thanks, _Kaito_." He gave her a half-disgusted, half-horrified look as she finished emptying the bowl. "And that wasn't really what I meant. I meant like, how someone might fall apart after another person—"

"Dies?" she offered, watching the soil in the pot absorb the blood and meat juice.

He nodded. "Exactly."

"And how would you know?" she repeated. Ignoring the agitated look he gave her, she cleared off some space on the desk and placed the items—papers, pens, a manicure set—in the bottom drawer furthest away from them.

"Just a vibe," he answered, flicking his wrist absently. "So, any news on Purple Pride and the Flamer?"

When Takashi returned from wherever he was right now, Rikou was going to throttle him. Though he'd only been gone overnight, his absence had already sparked notable tension between certain relatives. "No word—"

Someone rapped on the doorframe. Both looked, and saw Shuichi. "Found Kenji," he said.

* * *

As he did most places here, Hiei was a sharp focal point by the hospital entry, earning to his reproach unwanted attention from those going in and coming out of the building. He had done his duties already, and had not intention of going through those doors. But the person he'd been waiting on hadn't shown up as he was expecting. "So where is he?" he inquired, now that he could. "And what did he do?" For Kurama had to have done something—something major at that—for the face of the Fox's human mother to cloud so when he had asked a few minutes previously.

"He and your boyfriend are at work on your assignment," Rikou answered.

This made Hiei start, not having known that she knew, and then bristle. "The only physical relationship that _I _have with _him _is that of my first with his smart mouth!" Untrue, perhaps—but the very notion that Kuronue and himself…

Rikou didn't flinch at his outburst, and asked impassively, "What is the validity of physical harm if until now neither of you were together on a physical plane? Or does it work differently when you're dead?"

Hiei could have given the girl a few examples, but decided that that was a brand of awkwardness that he cared not to mess himself with. Instead he remained silent, and she continued: "Sorry if that's offensive to you. I didn't know the specifics, other than Kurama's visits to him were conjugal, apparently." This treaded too closely to the awkwardness he'd previously avoided, and he didn't comment. The subject then changed. "You didn't bring Takashi back with Kenji, did you?" He shook his head. "So he's still in the Demon World?" A nod. "Is he okay?"

Hiei considered how he might answer. "He's intact," he replied carefully. "Or, he will be … once his arm's reattached."

"_Pardon?_"

With a little difficulty he maintained contact with the sharp green eyes now fixed on him. He noted a little uneasily that he'd soon have to endure a similar pair of eyes, and didn't like to think about it. "He was going to burn someone's face off."

The eyes narrowed skeptically. "Maybe it's a demon logic that I missed out on," she said dryly, "but I'm not seeing the correlation."

His mouth twitched. "We found him and the human in a den. Maybe he was startled or already wound up. Either way, he wouldn't let go, so I … cut off his defense."

"… Literally," Rikou managed. Forehead creasing, she added: "That pun sucks."

He widened his eyes a little. "I wasn't making a…" Best not to use that wording when he explained to Kurama why their other child was currently sedated in Mukuro's laboratory. Trying to resume an impassive pose, he said casually, "It'll reattach."

"Give him something else to bitch about," she muttered in a semi-amused voice. "So it's a medical laboratory; find any reason why he's had those abdominal pains?"

"Why are you here?" someone asked.

Father and daughter jolted from their conversation. The someone was Yusuke, accompanied by Keiko. "Koenma gave he flesh," replied Hiei shortly. "And you?"

"Kenji's here; we were worried about him." Giving the younger-looking brunette a serious look, Yusuke said, "Shuichi didn't say anything about Takashi on the phone."

That would be because Hiei hadn't said anything about the boy when he'd phoned the Hatanaka house earlier. "I brought the human back where he could breathe. Takashi is with Mukuro."

Rikou saw past him two other newcomers. Smirking, she tilted her gaze toward the Urameshis and loudly declared, "Hiei dismembered him."

"_What?!_" Keiko exclaimed, giving the Jaganshi a horrified look.

"She makes it sound worse than it is," he retorted, casting an irritable eye on Rikou. But she was looking past him, not at him. He turned, froze, and then turned back and fixed a scathing look on the troublemaker. Better to glare into those eyes than to try and withstand their kin to the other side of him. "It was only his arm."

Evidently his audience didn't consider this "only" material. "Uh…" Kuwabara said, looking around. Surprisingly, Keiko looked more distressed than did Kurama, who in fact appeared calmer now than he had on the ride over. 'I don't know a whole lot about demon medicine, but her that's still pretty major."

"Shut up, Kuwabara," replied Hiei curtly. No need to let the human know that in the Makai, unless the patient was of a regenerative species, loss of a limb was also regarded seriously.

Suddenly Yusuke began to laugh. "Good one," he managed, biting hard into his bottom lip. "First major act as father: hack off your kid's arm." Hiei snarled something indiscernible at him. "Hey, it's not the worst thing that's ever happened. You know one time Raizen tried to take a bite out of me—But at least everything stayed intact."

Hiei's eyebrow twitched. He made to turn an angry eye on Rikou again, but she had slunk off. 'Rat,' he thought. Facing the scrutiny again, but avoiding Kurama's face, he calmly said: "It will reattach."

Softly, a voice seconded, "Mukuro's medical prowess is highly estimable. I know this first-hand, and Hiei should know even more so. Takashi will be fine. And—I'm sure Hiei wasn't looking to use his sword on his son."

Mentally the Jaganshi thanked Kurama for his rationalization. "It wasn't my first choice," he grumbled. Disregarding the others, he stepped away and gestured for his mate to follow.

"It's not funny, Yusuke," Keiko lectured, as he was still chuckling.

"I know," he admitted, trying to stifle himself. "But you gotta admit, it kinda _is_."

"No, it's not!"

"Well, considering it's Hiei, it sort of…" Kuwabara trailed off when Keiko looked at him. "Uh, at least it can be reattached; I think I'll say that first when I tell Yukina…. He looked like he felt bad about it, at least." There was a murmur of agreement.

Kurama and Hiei rejoined them. "Kenji might be dehydrated," the redhead told them, "but Hiei said that otherwise he's not badly harmed. And all of his limbs are intact," he added wryly. His companion's face soured. "I believe that my family is already inside, so I should probably prepare them for Takashi not coming home for a little while…" Now his composure appeared not quite so calm, but he nonetheless gave them a small smile before entering the hospital.

"So, uh." Kuwabara looked at Hiei. "You planning on hanging around for a while, or…?"

"My son is in a laboratory surrounded by demons he's never met," was the blunt reply. "He needs someone familiar with him."

Yusuke snorted. "Yeah, someone familiar—why not the guy who took off his arm?"

"Shut up, Yusuke."

He blinked in surprise: the admonition came from Keiko. "Uh … sorry?"

"Fascinating as your marital squabbles are," remarked Hiei dryly, "I've other places to be." But he didn't disappear immediately. Turning toward Kuwabara, he inquired, "How's Yukina?"

Obviously his question startled the carrot top. "Uh, fine, overall." Giving Hiei a weird look, he said, "If it makes you feel any better, I dropped Haku once when he was little."

Hiei stared, then rolled his eyes. A muttered "Must run in the family" could be heard, and then the humans found themselves a triad again.

* * *

Kenji's eyelids fluttered, and he saw a disgusting excess of white. "What the…?"

"He lives!"

He groaned. "Shut the fuck up, Fla—." Wait. He opened his eyes. "You're not Jagamino."

Tohru narrowed his eyes. "Hell no, I'm not. Jagamino's, uh, I'm not sure where right now … Well, there's _one _over there."

The one was Rikou. Before she opened her mouth Kenji started up. "Next time you see your brother, tell him to keep his head fetish to himself!"

She quirked an eyebrow. "Uh—huh?"

"He was _groping _my head."

"You sure you weren't _hallucinating?_"

"Get out of here!" he snarled at Tohru.

The sandy-haired boy shrugged. "Guess you aren't hurting too bad. Hey Rikou, did I see right when I saw Shuichi earlier?"

"He came here with us, didn't—Oh. She's, um…" She shrugged. Kurama could handle him. "She's around here, somewhere." Tohru grinned, and left without complaint.

Kenji rolled his eyes, then screwed them up because they hurt. "Can't believe he still believes that."

"Yeah; it's still amusing, too. Except I think that his obsession's altered recently."

"It's not funny. He might freak when he finds out the other Shuichi's a guy." He frowned, flashes of … where the hell had they been? 'Stupid Potato Head.' "Why'd I wake up to Mr. I-Don't-Know-I'm-Gay"—Rikou coughed; he ignored her—"instead of my parents or something, anyhow?"

"Because we can't all take in our sustenance through the arm."

At this he opened his eyes and looked. IV in the arm. Must have dehydrated while he was … "Do you know where the hell your brother took us?"

"Not precisely."

Staring at the IV, he muttered something about kicking Takashi's ass, then laughed a little. "I guess I can't eat solid stuff right now, huh? Might be better off, being in a hospital. Takashi must be going nuts."

"Takashi's not here."

"Huh?"

"He's being treated somewhere else."

"Is he okay?"

Honestly, she didn't know. Hiei had stressed that Takashi could be intact. Still, it sounded like something was wrong prior to his arm being cut off. How was he right now? She couldn't imagine much about his present situation being exceedingly pleasant.

"Answer the question, Jagamino!"

She blinked, and then scowled at Kenji. "Why is it that men have to make it so hard to feel bad for them when they're incapacitated?" she demanded. "Takashi's recovering from an injury; I don't know much else right now."

Kenji raised an eyebrow, then stared back at his IV. "Thanks for the info," he muttered sarcastically, doing his best to make his frown look more hostile as opposed to worried.

* * *

"I'm kind of surprised that Hiei chose to bring Kenji back himself," Yusuke confessed. He'd come out of the bathroom and found Kurama sitting on a bench, waiting on his family and acknowledging a chatty Tohru, whom Yusuke had just run off.

"Well, he needed to relay some information anyhow," Kurama pointed out.

The brunette nodded. "Yeah, he sure did bolt after, too. Probably didn't want to be around when your mom finds out. Can't blame him."

He didn't know the half of it. "They've had an unconventional relationship thus far," murmured the Fox. "She didn't learn about him until after he had died, and their first meeting wasn't auspicious. It's neither of their faults." He frowned. "If anyone's responsible for the tension I that house right now, I am." Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "I concealed a lot from her before, right to the end. To assume that everything can resume as they were after a sixteen-year hiatus is to be delusional. Everyone's changed. She never completely adjusted before to the notion that I am in fact a demon, because it wasn't imperative. Now, though…" He sighed. "And I cannot conform to my previous role for her, even if I wanted to."

Yusuke furrowed his brow. "Kuwabara and I heard something about that before; between you and Hiei and, uh, —Kuronue…"

The Fox caught his enunciation. "An example of my point. She's not the only one affected, but she knew 'Shuichi' longest." A smile that was far from amused. "We were brought back with an objective, and we need to perform accordingly. I shouldn't allow my family dynamics to swallow me, even if they leave something to be desired. I admit that I haven't been a satisfactory son, and certainly not a parent in any but the basest definition."

He meant bearing the children. "Yeah, well you didn't really have that opportunity I guess." Yusuke shrugged. "It's pretty damn pathetic, but I guess it does sort of bug me that you guys have problems with that."

"I'm not content with it either, Yusuke."

"No, I mean…" He pressed his lips together. "When you were giving birth, I could hear you screaming like someone was kill—" He winced. "… Killing you. I told Keiko that there was no way we were having kids anytime soon." Giving Kurama a rueful look, he said, "I think I've been eating my words since then, because even after 'soon,' we haven't. You guys weren't even looking to have yours."

Somewhere in the brunette's tone Kurama detected the mildest of resentment. "I cried when I found out about them," he admitted, giving Yusuke a sympathetic look.

Confession did very little to make Yusuke feel better. He looked around, shrugged, and leaned up against the wall. "Yeah … But you guys have your own shit. So, how are you going to tell your mom?"

Kurama reflected what Hiei had told him privately, and is stomach tightened a little. "Well, I need to hone my presentation skills, but lately I've favored honesty."

Later he was going to find Kuronue and exploit the Bat for some much needed stress relief.

* * *

Hiei'd been right; Kenji Kazuno would be able to go home in a day or so. Lucky, Kuwabara thought; it could have been much worse. At least the positive outweighed the negative for his report to Yukina.

But he hated being in the hospital, especially given present circumstances. He was afraid that if he took a wrong turn he might encounter a more somber, human counterpart to the Urameshis' Zombie Rat. Shizuru's account of Mr. Nagahara had been enough for him.

"Where's Hiei?"

"Huh?" He looked and saw Rikou. "He left already." The girl frowned. "He thought Takashi needed someone familiar—"

"No; that's not it. He has that Jagan, so I wanted him to look at … Actually, you might be able to do it."

He narrowed his eyes. "Do what?"

"The Death Tree's grown malicious toward Tohru lately, and usually it only hates Takashi. It's said some interesting things…"

"It 'said'—Oh, never mind. What did it, uh, say?"

"There's a demon in Tohru."

"Uh—HUH?"

Rikou gave him a 'What did I just say?' look. "A demon's soul is in Tohru. The Tree knew it."

Kuwabara gawked at her. She could have been speaking another language, and it'd have been less bizarre. A demon's soul in Tohru? Well, he supposed it might make sense, especially lately, but why would the plant recognize—?

A possibility, abstract as it as, formed in his mind. He groaned. "Oh, _shit_."

* * *

Shiori found Kurama, still where he'd been while conversing with Yusuke. "I talked to Kenji's mother; he doesn't recall much of what happened, including where they were."

"That's good," he replied. He wondered if Hiei had used the Jagan on the boy.

"Since Kenji can't tell, Takashi had better come up with a good explanation for the Kazunos. I don't know what got into him."

"He was cooped up," offered the Kitsune lackadaisically.

"That doesn't justify his putting himself and Kenji in danger."

It didn't. "Probably it was accidental."

"Shuichi—"

"I'm sorry." His tone didn't reflect his feelings, and she was of course hearing the former. "Mother, Hiei has Takashi with him in the Makai; he…" This wasn't the proper place.

Though his voice may have lacked feeling, his face suddenly didn't. Shiori immediately noticed. "What's wrong, Shuichi?"

Kurama saw the new worry in her expression, and gave her an assuring smile. "Nothing really, in the broad scope of things, but we do need to talk."


	16. Chapter XVI

Next installment! It probably would have been up sooner, but the silly thing didn't want to close for me. (Aggravating much, by the way.) But I've been working on the "kids" lately—this and the other mpreg story—and there's almost an update for the other one as well, so evidently things decided to cooperate again.

Speaking of kids, I'm going to take this opportunity to shamelessly promote Hiei08's story "Shura's Quest" (although the kid in there isn't so well-adjusted, eheh...), which she's been updating on this site. Check it out if you have a chance.

* * *

Jagamino  
Chapter XVI  
April 21, 2008

At least Kurama had understood his duress. Hiei wished it would do better to alleviate the guilt. So far his actions as father made for a drab repertoire. A decade and a half or absence, and then near-absence, and now dismemberment. Maybe the girl child would better benefit from his negligence, considering what he'd done to her brother.

He had hoped to arrive before Takashi woke up in what for the latter had to be a strange place (to be generous). The look on Mukuro's face when he did, however, gave him the impression that he was late.

Confirmed by the crisp brief: "Your offspring has woken, and is threatening to chew off an arm in order to leave. Go deal with it."

He wasn't sure what "it" designated: the situation, or the offspring.

"I'm so happy that your brand of reason surfaced in the gene pool," she added as he proceeded to "go deal with it." Her voice was so dry that Hiei was half-convinced there was a stale sensation in his mouth.

She wouldn't have been this put off simply by a spooked child. Hiei must have been very late.

In the laboratory he found an agitated, or perhaps more appropriately, frantic-looking Takashi, secured on his back on a table, fidgeting and glaring at an adjoining regeneration tank attached to his right arm. Perhaps it would have been more humane to have placed him in sleep in one of the larger tanks.

When Takashi saw him Hiei found himself the object of a slit crimson glare. "_You _did this to me."

Accurate, but Hiei wasn't so guilt-ridden as to become a doormat. "Would you have rather been accountable for scorching one of Mukuro's demons to death? You'll be out of here before he is." No reply, but the glare didn't falter. Growing immune to it, the Jaganshi examined his son's physiology: a pronounced flush in Takashi's face, glassy eyes, a subtle fragrance that reminded him of what Kurama sometimes emitted when they… "Has anyone disturbed you?" he inquired sharply. Of course Mukuro wouldn't have permitted such a thing, but with the Ukime matter dominating attention some opportunistic—and suicidal—guard may have escaped detection.

"The bionic lady hasn't let anyone through those doors," replied Takashi sullenly. Hiei's muscles relaxed a little. "Did Kenji get back all right?"

Hiei nodded. "Your energy donation helped. He'll be fine." Takashi appeared a fraction less riled upon hearing this. Changing the subject, he said, "Your arm should be healed in a day or two. And we found the cause of your abdominal pain." As expected, the boy perked up (figuratively: his current position left little room for the literal) and gave him an anxious look. Yet he hesitated. "Are you hungry?" In response he received an irritated look—and a stomach's growl.

Quickly Hiei withdrew. "I'm more curious than hungry!" shouted Takashi crossly.

"… You're going through puberty," answered Hiei honestly over his shoulder. And then he turned his back to the indignant retorts that he was _wrong_, off by a few _years._

Naturally, his son's animosity was more concentrated when he returned. For a moment he hesitated loosening the table's straps, but Takashi had to be able to sit up enough to feed himself without choking. "Second puberty," he elaborated as the redhead gave him a malevolent look and ignored the food. "You're a demon."

A scarlet brow shot up skeptically. "And all demons have these multiple times?" Obviously it wasn't a serious question, more a challenge.

How to put it delicately? He didn't see a means. Nonetheless, he took care not to sound cruelly blunt when he said: "You're intersex."

He expected some betrayal of shock. Instead he got the bristle of anger. "I am _not _a girl in a boy's body!" spat Takashi hotly.

A dark brow twitched. "That's _transgender_," Hiei growled. "You're intersex. Hermaphrodite. … Like Kurama."

Now the appropriate blank look. Tilting his head (and gaze) to the side, he continued, "Some Kitsune have parts from both. That's why folklore tells of some starting families in disguise with humans. Apparently it's genetic, or this is a fluke. Your body and energy have matured, so those organs have turned on; that's why you've been eating so much." He disliked this; Kurama would have explained it so much better. Shrugging uncomfortably, he added, "There's an emanation coming from you right now. You're not allowed around other demons for a few days." That scent Hiei had caught was hormonal; Takashi was in a sort of mini-heat.

No objection, no retort, no comment. The blank look persevered. Hiei, though unable to empathize (he _really _wished Kurama were here), could certainly understand.

Eventually, Takashi's face regained some indications of thought. "… I'd had theories," the boy mustered. "Mind you, I never _expected_, but I _wondered_…" Red brows furrowed. Pensive. Concerned. "Didn't it _kill _Kurama?"

"A weak body killed Kurama," Hiei quickly corrected. "It was mostly human and couldn't take—"

"I know," his son interrupted. "We killed him. Already knew that."

Hiei might have insisted some excuse, some alternative. But Takashi's tone was clinical and matter of fact. There was no remorse over the exchange of life. And why should there have been, the Jaganshi mused. "But perhaps he could have," he continued, "had he been in better health. You're fully demon, and just have organs wouldn't harm you either way." The assurance that this new development wasn't a death sentence did little to lighten the redhead's despondency. "Eat; your body's demanded more energy lately."

Unfortunately Takashi had lost his appetite. Yes, he'd acknowledged the possibility—the _faint _possibility—, but now that it'd been stated he felt ill-prepared. In a low voice he inquired: "Does this mean I can't live in the Human World anymore?"

Such a question coming from a demon instinctively conjured scorn within Hiei. But then he saw the look on the boy's face, and recalled his own anger at being exiled _to _the Human World. "Hn." Hiei smirked, a slightly vicious gleam in his eye. "I saw some of the old woman's Makai expatriates. If anyone tries to deport _you _due to your biology, I'll cut off more than an arm."

"Uh…" Takashi glanced at the contraption he was currently attached to. "More than _their _arm, right?"

Hiei scowled. On the other hand, deportation could have its benefits. For example, get his son away from the influence of the Detective and the Clown.

* * *

Shiori stared blankly at her son. "… Will that harm him?" she managed.

"Not at all," Kurama stressed reassuringly. "There shouldn't even be great physical disruption after full development." He still recalled in detail the information given him after his diagnosis. "I suppose that he could go into heat sometime, but everything would be reabsorbed after(1), unless…" Considering her carefully for a moment, he finished: "he were fertilized." As expected, his mother blanched. "Even if that happened, he would be fine! My body was overwhelmed, but his is fully demon. It wouldn't be an issue."

She gave him a hard, skeptical look. "Wouldn't be an issue?" she repeated, voice betraying obvious disagreement.

Fortunately—or at least in Kurama's perspective—someone now approached them. "Did Rikou tell you?"

It was Kuwabara. "Tell us what?" asked Kurama warily. Promptly the taller man looked more uncomfortable. "Yes, Kuwabara?"

"Uh … You know how you left your seeds and stuff behind?" Kurama nodded, his scrutiny unwavering. "Well, you've seen the plant she keeps?"

He had. "Not the most orthodox choice for a house plant."

Kuwabara nodded his vigorous agreement. "You would shrink things back into seeds sometimes, right?"

The Fox confirmed this; all the time. "Basic horticulture really isn't as solemn as your manner would suggest. Is there something more to this?"

His friend looked thoughtful. "Rikou says that the plants, uh, talk. Can they remember as well?" Kurama gave him a strange look, and nodded slowly. "Anyway, she said the plant … the plant said that it recognized a presence in Tohru, and that it was demonic." The strange look persisted. "I think he got creeped out and left, but I got a chance to sense him before. There's something there, pretty faint, but I've never picked it up off him before." Donning a pointed expression, Kuwabara said, "The _Death Tree _recognized the presence. She grew it from one of your old seeds…"

Comprehension manifested itself differently in the other two. A low groan was heard from Shiori, while Kurama's eyes widened. Seeing that they understood, Kuwabara continued: "Finding Tohru…"

"Would be imperative," finished Kurama.

* * *

Hiei rounded the corner, and then paused and observed the scene before him. There on the laboratory table sat his son, bound in place by the injured arm. Nearby stood one of Mukuro's guards, conducting a conversation that seemed almost purely one-sided with the recovering demon, who appeared more and more vexed as it progressed. Looking at the guard, Hiei understood why, and made a point of coughing loudly.

This sounded more like an odd growl. When the lab's occupants looked his way both saw a menacing pair of garnets. Their glower, however, seemed reserved only for one. The guard quickly paled, and even more quickly exited, Hiei's gaze practically scorching him as he did.

He refocused on Takashi. "Other things are happening right now," he explained, giving the boy the milk that'd been requested. The food had been picked at; probably it was different from anything that the consumer was used to.

Apparently so was the milk, judging from the face Takashi made drinking it. "Other things," he said, looking first at Hiei, and then in a different direction. "Anything involving that person over there?"

Hiei looked at "that person over there" and grimaced a little. At some point one of those things that Mukuro had dubbed "locust shells" had wandered in. "That person's dead," he answered flatly. "But thanks to Ukime, none of those people can die properly."

"It smells like it's decaying," remarked the redhead, nose crinkling.

Yes, there was a very faint smell of flesh rotting, but to their confusion neither he nor Mukuro nor anyone on or off the Mukade thus far could detect any physical decomposition on any of the bodies that they had picked up. "They would have been decaying now anyhow," Hiei replied absently. Should he escort this one somewhere?

What was the point of the dissolution of the barrier between the living and the dead if _this _was the result, or had Ukime not foreseen it?

* * *

Kuronue reclined on a branch, dispatching signals into the forest and reading them as they bounced off objects and came back to him. Tree; tree; tree; tree; … fox (not _his_, though); tree; hikers; tree; … He sat up a little—there, another one to collect…

"Any luck?"

His wings rustled, rescuing his balance from his starting. Reikai ferry girl. "Three finds this morning," he replied nonchalantly. "And one waiting that way." Until Ukime was stopped, her mess demanded constant maintenance. He'd spent the last few days finding and gathering what the psychic Kuwabara called "zombies." Koenma had designated the psychic Genkai's temple as the area's depository until further notice.

Botan revealed a folder. "This should cut down search time," she said as she held it out to him. "We may not be able to collect their souls right now, but we still know when they _technically _die."

And where, Kuronue discovered, taking the folder and looking over its contents. Well, that was useful. "And Ukime?"

"She's probably not in the Human World."

"_No?_" he replied sardonically. She hadn't been in the Human World when he had happened upon her; he had had to cross over, dragging himself. "I'm accountable for the first time my leg suffered, but this time I want retribution. Why hasn't your … our boss permitted my return to Makai yet?"

She looked fretful. "Ukime's probably not in the Human World right _now_," she amended. "But if she were looking specifically for a way to bring back dead demons, the other two artifacts might be useful."

Other than the Forlorn Hope… After a moment's contemplation Kuronue figured it out. The Orb of Baast extracted the soul from the body, while the slash of the Shadow Sword was demonizing. For a pedagogue, Ukime had at least some calculative potential. "They say that the 'zombies' found in the Makai carry trace scents of a corpse. So do the ones here. Back then, I could only concentrate on her briefly—extremely briefly—but I do remember a discoloration. When I was alive, I remember seeing lepers with conditions so advanced that they looked like the living dead." Botan arched a sky-colored brow. "But Ukime couldn't be one of _them_, the ones you and I keep finding. I heard her speak, that warped orator; I saw her, she was lucid." Giving her a curious look, he inquired, "What has Koenma found on our adversary, anyhow?"

Her frown answered him: Not much. "She's elusive. We have as little information on her as we originally did on Kura—"

"Do _not _finish that comparison," interrupted Kuronue sharply. "Kurama didn't technically die before, only took another body."

They were all perfectly aware of the hypocrisy of their purpose here. Brought back to prevent others from coming back. Kurama especially was a contradiction. The paradox of such a mission could probably drive some people a little mad.

'Eureka: Hiei.'

He was smirking, which confused Botan. "Just what is so funny?" she demanded.

Promptly he reconvened his thoughts. "Post-mortem love triangle contemplations," he answered, opening the folder again.

* * *

School hadn't been out especially long, Rikou reflected. Tohru didn't seem to realize where their meandering was taking them.

"Did I hear right at the hospital?" he inquired. "Is Takashi missing an _arm?_"

Eavesdropper—But perhaps discussing such matters in large groups at prominent public locations wasn't very wise. In answer she made the ambiguous reply: "It wouldn't be the first time someone's talked about cutting a Jagamino up." She had heard the stories. Looking up ahead of them, she added, "I believe that he has, a few dozen times."

"He" referred to Buma, who was still on the school grounds. Immediately Tohru donned a disdainful expression that seemed more intense than usual. "Why is he even in this school to begin with?"

"He can do math well."

"So could an animal."

"Humans are animals."

"… That they are."

'That they are.' Not Tohru's typical wording, but the demon's sentiment bled through. Now to provoke the boy. "Remember how he hacked a loogie in your hair the other day. Have you gotten back at him yet?"

Bait taken. He narrowed his eyes. "Not yet," he answered brusquely, walking away from her toward Buma.

"Generally it's discouraged to whisper incitations into someone's ear that will cause them to commit acts of violence or stupidity. That's why the snake slithers now(2)."

In response Rikou turned toward the school, where Kaito was descending the steps, and held up her hands, as though to demonstrate: 'My limbs are intact.' "I wasn't whispering. Actually, I'm hoping that Buma will—." There was the sound of fist smacking flesh, of Tohru's body hitting the pavement. "And there he goes." Buma was also very dependable.

Kaito looked from the beating, which he was fairly sure his position obligated him to break up, to Rikou. "It wouldn't particularly surprise me if madness ran in the paternal side of your family, or the maternal. Do you know what the presence in Tohru is?"

Raising an eyebrow, Rikou answered, "Ghost of a demon; when did you notice?"

"Only recently, but there's noting I'm allowed to do about it. I do have to put a stop to this, though."

Didn't matter, however: Buma had done a sufficient job already of incapacitating Tohru, and the demon inside him, for at least the time being.

* * *

(1) - reproduction in animals (and perhaps animal spirits, in this case) are a bit different from humans. When a woman isn't fertilized she menstruates and everything sloughs off the uterine wall. In the case of (most, not sure if all) non-human animals, on the other hand, the uterus absorbs everything, which is what I'll apply here to accomodate the lack of kotex use among characters such as Kurama and Takashi (I'm probably a tad horrible, eh...?)

(2) – snake: referring to the snake's punishment at the end of Genesis for its role in getting Adam and Eve to eat the fruit_—"Because you have done this you are accursed / more than all cattle and all wild creatures. / On your belly you shall crawl, and dust you shall eat / all the days of your life."_ It's a common enough story as it is, and that aside given that Kaito in the show was into literature and in this story is a teacher, he would I'm sure be familiar with it.


	17. Chapter XVII

Believe it or not, I've been working quite diligently, almost _daily_, on this chapter since May 22nd. It's undergone four revisions with some scenes switched around and new stuff added in (including a lemon toward the end, hurrah!), and I'm now really quite satisfied with it, so at least my nearly three-month progression has been successful. At least, I think so; feel free to let me know what you think via a review.

* * *

Jagamino  
Chapter XVII  
August 13, 2008

Two redheads were sprinting down the road, one lagging slightly behind the other—Koenma hadn't commissioned the Makai lords to recreate _his _body as it'd been sixteen years ago—, before both came to a hasty stop, lest they run into their greeter at the base of the steps. "Ever—worry—your face—will freeze—that way?" Kuwabara panted.

"You owe me gas money," Kaito declared flatly. He was leaning against what they presumed to be his car, arms crossed and the look he gave them similarly so.

"Is it my fault you didn't take the train?" retorted the taller psychic.

"Oh yes, I'm sure my taking the train out into the country with two students, one female and the other bound and barely conscious, wouldn't cast a suspicious light on me whatsoever."

"Uh—Well, okay, I see your point." Kuwabara shrugged his concession. "Where're Rikou and Tohru at?" In answer Kaito gestured up the steps. "Right. Time to interrogate some ghost demon."

"Buma's already _physically _interrogated him," cautioned Kaito, watching the carrot-top ascend the steps, shifting his gaze over to Kurama. "Your daughter's Machiavellianism."

Scarlet brows furrowed in mild concern. At least no one had lost an eye—or two—yet (1). "Is the boy badly hurt?"

"He'll be sore for a week or two, at least." Kurama winced. Gesturing in Kuwabara's wake, the brunette psychic asked: "Shall we? Technically I can't do anything about the demon, but I'd like to see that permitting one student to pummel another, and then abducting the latter, comes to some constructive purpose." The Fox donned a sympathetic look, and let him take the lead.

Kurama wasn't as surprised to see Kuronue as he was to see Botan. "You know, I presume?" he asked her.

She made an interesting gesture with her mouth, as though she'd ingested something sour. "Well…"

"_Now _she does," Kuronue answered, voice betraying moderate ire. "I can appreciate the workload at Spirit World, but I would think they would notice if the spirit of a demon wormed his way back to the Living World and into a ningen boy."

"Things are more chaotic than usual," Botan said half-indignantly, half-guiltily.

"I understand," Kurama assured her. "Now, our spirit and our boy…?"

"In here," Kaito told him, leading him past the Bat and ferry-girl.

Rikou was sitting against the wall on one side of the room, and glanced at the Meiou alumni when they came in before again focusing on the wall opposite, against which slumped a bound, and upon second take warded Tohru, looking roughed up and not very well pleased with the present situation. Standing over him were Genkai and Kuwabara, who seemed to be debating how to proceed. Within the boy the demon did indeed lurk, but Tohru was not fully possessed in the sense of full control. Well, reasoned Kurama, even if he remained conscious while they conversed with his "guest", a certain pollen could be promptly made at hand to remedy the situation.

"So," Kuwabara began, thinking that they may as well just plunge in. "How long have you been riding around in Tohru?" In response said boy's eyes took on a harder, defiant, resentful glint, and from his mouth no answer came. "Okay," the psychic shrugged. "But I think we've already proven that we don't mind going through _him _to get to _you_."

A snort, that Rikou and Kaito could have identified as simultaneously being and not being Tohru's impudence. "You'd only dare go so far with his body," retorted the demon matter of factly. "Demon World did some time ago concoct that—_brilliant _law prohibiting our kind pursuing their kind."

But you did anyway, Kurama thought, recognizing something in those eyes, for all the physical difference there was between them and the originals.

"Maybe being dead and in a normal human body's handicapped your sense of perception," Genkai countered, "but you're only one of three demons in this room, and she's"—referring to Rikou—"kept in mind to not take you on herself."

"Not that we'd mind picking up the slack," Kuwabara volunteered.

Beside him Kurama could hear Kaito make a sound that might best be described as skeptical. Knowing the other's aversion toward violence, that Tohru was a student, and that some of the former had already been inflicted on the latter today, he threw in his own commentary. "Demanding your identity is unnecessary," he stated, approaching and kneeling before the demon. "I remember you as well as you must me. Shall I call you 'S' or 'Mushiyori'?"

No answer; he hadn't anticipated one. Instead the inquiry: "Where's the dark little Jagan-master you got so emotional over before? He hasn't raised your belly recently, I see."

He ignored the Mushiyori Butcher's taunt. "Do you recognize her?" "Her" referred to Rikou. "You had the idea to cut her up, I recall, and her brother too. Who would have anticipated her having the opportunity for payback? She even used another human as executor, not breaching the law you cited. A naturalized demon is a demon nonetheless, after all."

"Anything that grows in the Human World pales in comparison to the Makai," opined the Butcher disdainfully.

"Yet it appears that everyone present may claim elevation over you."

Indignation, as Kurama had expected. The Butcher quickly cooled, though, and said: "Not forever, perhaps. Those artifacts that the Instigator possesses could do a lot for resurrecting demons, especially those unable to take residence in their own or even another demonic body."

"Speaking of." Kurama ran a hand through his hair, telling Rikou apologetically: "I fear that I tampered with your pet as a precaution." Saying this, he extended a flat palm toward Tohru/the Mushiyori Butcher, allowing the demon reigning to see what he held: a single seed. "You may recognize this?" he inquired. Judging by the interesting mingling of apprehension, contempt, nausea, and suspicion on Tohru's face, the Butcher did. "Fortunate that of all the seeds that could have been selected for an experiment in domestication, this one was the chosen. It knows you as surely as you know it. Given the present circumstances of course, I'm incapable of torturing you with it as much as I might like." Not that that mattered necessarily. Even if the Death Tree wasn't physically practicable against the Butcher, the sight of it as a mere seed appeared to make a mental impression on him nonetheless. "We do possess other applications should you prove noncompliant," the Fox continued coolly. "One of the humans present can and if need be will extract your soul from the boy's body. Considering your reputation, Spirit World may not be as upset as usual should said soul then be left to exposure." It wasn't something he intended to see done, but the expression it provoked suggested the threatened would behave himself. Changing the subject, Kurama said, "You know about Ukime, then?" She had to be the "Instigator" that the Butcher had mentioned.

Total cooperation. "I'd be an ill-informed spirit not to have some knowledge of a plan with such an impact on my kind. Not that everyone is so enthusiastic. Some are indifferent." True—Kurama thought of Hiei. "And some blatantly oppose." With Tohru's eyes he looked pointedly at the redhead.

The implied paradox didn't sway Kurama, who had already accepted his hypocrisy. "But it doesn't seem that the supporters have been well-rewarded thus far. Have you had the opportunity to observe some of the other occupants of the premises? Your lot has been the best I've seen by far."

"The Instigator's other tools," replied the Butcher matter-of-factly. "One would ensure that I no longer share this body. The other would make it conform to the nature of the remaining soul, my soul."

It didn't take long to properly interpret his meaning. Kurama and Kuwabara betrayed surprise then outrage; the others, having already learned from Botan of this possibility, skipped the first stage. "Sure you're still opposed to working him over?" muttered Genkai to Kaito.

"My student is still in there," replied the younger psychic, though the way he spoke suggested that he was reminding himself as much as he was her.

* * *

Downside to being attached to a regeneration tank (was there an upside? Ah, yes—the arm): he couldn't go to the bathroom or shower. Even if Kenji's jabs about his untidy room weren't entirely unfounded, Takashi did like to maintain regular personal hygiene, and given everything else recently this consequence of his current immobility was hardly a sweet flavoring. He didn't doubt Hiei when the other demon (for if he'd ever forgotten that he was one, his stay here was a vivid reminder) told him that he was emitting something chemical that was responsible for a few of the bionic lady Mukuro's demons' _friendly_ dispositions towards him. At the moment he was too dirty to be very appealing otherwise.

There wasn't much that could be done about the first problem, and what could be done still sucked. He'd even suggested all-out fasting until he was detached from the machine (which earned a raised eyebrow from Hiei, surprised and skeptical). Flat-out no. His body needed the nourishment; this was why his appetite had surged the last couple of months.

_His body. _It reminded him of sex ed class in middle school, but then Hiei had said this was like his second puberty, hadn't he? For all he knew someone might come and discuss intersex demon birth control with him next. (Were that the case, he'd already resolved himself that he could get by in life with just one arm; and who knew, he might taste good while escaping.) And it hadn't been ages ago that he'd made those pregnancy jokes. (Open mouth, insert foot. Maybe that'd taste okay too.) His grandmother had taken it in stride then, but what about now? What about any of them now?

At least the second problem had been better remedied. This evening Mukuro told him that he and his arm would be free in approximately two days (ah, "approximately"—good medical disclaimer!), and then asked if he would like to have a bath? _**YES**_, as emphatic as he could answer. Not long ago two servants had brought in a table as high as the one that had become his current bed, on which to stand a small tub of steaming water, soap, a washcloth, and a towel. He'd been a little put off when they asked for his clothes. What if they weren't brought back or he didn't get new ones?

When Hiei came in Takashi had worked himself into a rather contortionist position and almost fell over when he jumped, startled, and then gave the Jaganshi a vindictive look. "I'm not inclined to incest," Hiei responded dryly, sitting down in a chair nearby. This of course begged an uglier look, and Takashi slapped the contents of the tub, hard. Hiei frowned as soap and water slipped down the side of his face. Perhaps his son wasn't a morning person, or at least not a morning-on-the-Mukade person. Wiping away the inflammatory shower, he looked over and raised an eyebrow as he observed Takashi trying to scrub his hair with the washcloth. He sighed and rolled his eyes, downed the rest of his coffee, and said "Let me help." Dipping his now empty cup into the bath water, he motioned for the redhead to lean over and then poured the water over said head. "I guess after this I can say I've given one of my kids a bath. Just don't piss on me like a little kid."

"_Funny_," Takashi said, spitting a bit of water out of his mouth. "I did that to Kuwabara."

Had he heard right? "You pissed on Kuwabara."

"So I'm told."

Though Takashi's face was fully obscured by a slick curtain of drenched hair, Hiei suppressed a smirk, then decided not to. After all, he shouldn't withhold praise for his child. He gave Takashi's hair one last saturation, then stepped back and handed the boy the towel. "You're as clean as you will be while attached to that. Where are your clothes?"

"Gone. Servants took them."

Hiei didn't have any that would fit him. Right now Takashi had tucked the towel round his waist. He'd have to keep that fashion until Hiei could procure something more suitable. "Are you uncomfortable at all?"

"I'm naked on a lab table, and if I see _anything_ resembling a probe, I'm out of here and you can keep the arm. Do you have a comb or anything?"

He had a small, cheap plastic one he'd gotten in the Human World. "I meant is there any physical discomfort?"

"Cramps. This hurts worse than this one time I got sucker-punched in the stomach…"

"Rikou?"

"Genkai."

At least that meant there'd probably been something educational behind the beating. "Try warming your hands and massaging the area." In the past he'd employed similar methods on abused muscles. "Like this."

Whether impulsively or not, Takashi pulled back a little as he reached out; but did still and permit his laying of the hands. For the first time he recognized the one article that the servants hadn't taken from him. Kurama had left, in addition to the katana that he'd recovered, his hiruseki from Hina behind for the twins. He'd wondered where it'd gone to. "Is there any change?" Takashi conceded that there was a little, and then pushed his hands away to try it himself. At least "a little" was something. Other than that he couldn't think of any other way he could be helpful, and wished that Kurama, or anyone possessing a uterus, were here. "Maybe Mukuro—"

Speak of the demon, he thought, relieved when the laboratory doors parted and the female warlord entered. She observed Takashi and remarked that he looked much better now that he'd been cleaned, and then said, "I want you to drink this." Both watched her set a steaming cup of neither-was-sure-what on the table within the redhead's reach.

He looked at the cup. "What is it?" Hiei wondered, too.

"Cinnamon tea. It will treat your cramps." Takashi regarded her carefully, then the cup, and then picked it up and brought it to his lips. "It's fresh; it's probably—"

Scorching, had been her planned admonition. But Takashi sucked it down without any yelped repercussions. He did, however, pull a face, and thought that "strong" would have proved a suitable warning. Upon closer inspection he saw that the cinnamon tea was literally about a tablespoon of the spice dumped in boiling water. "Thank heaven for shemale birth-givers," he muttered darkly, trying another swill of the stuff.

"He died giving that birth," Hiei brusquely reminded him.

When Takashi shrugged it gave Mukuro a chance to note the hiruseki necklace. "Maybe it wasn't Kurama," she said contemplatively. "Koorime are after all traditionally an asexual race; perhaps…" Hiei glowered at her. She smirked. "Well, it doesn't matter where the trait came from; you have it and you'll have to deal with it."

He snorted rather contemptuously. "Damn, there go my plans to lie down with your guards after I'm detached from this thing."

Hiei disliked even the idea of that. "Knock that attitude," he grumbled. His companions instantly gave him ironic looks. Fine, this was Takashi's coping method of choice, he shouldn't bitch over it. And maybe he shouldn't be one to talk, as their expressions suggested. "If you can refrain from lying down with _anyone _I'll take you home as soon as you're mobile again."

"Maybe not," Mukuro said. Hiei raised an eyebrow. "There are suspicious persons on our border with Ganderra whom Yomi swears aren't his. He's already dispatched a number of his demons to investigate, and we'll be following suit. Or I assume you will."

It did sound like something he ought to attend. He considered Takashi with furrowed brows. "You'll stay in my quarters until I can take you home," he decided. Forehead wrinkling further, he took a whiff of the boy and debated whether he'd been joking about the guards or not.

Takashi reeled back as much as was possible; Hiei wasn't being very discreet. "_What_ are you doing?"

He caught himself and realized how much space he'd suddenly closed between Takashi and he. Assuming a more comfortable distance from his son, he gave the boy a serious look and said, "You _will _behave yourself once you're loo—." "Loose" didn't seem appropriate.

"I wasn't aware I'd given you the impression of a delinquent," replied Takashi cautiously.

"No; I meant…"

Mukuro rolled her eyes. "This isn't a bordello. And even if all my guards can't be another Kiren or Shigure or you, they're not lechers and it's been made clear he's off limits." Takashi listened to her, widened his eyes, and gave Hiei an insulted look.

The brunette looked away. These kids had a knack for putting him on the spot with eye contact. Fortunately his body must have been sympathetic, and produced a sensation that might help him save face. "Are you hungry?" he asked Takashi. While the miffed look remained, it did lighten a little when Takashi nodded. "I'll get us dinner." Or maybe make it; Kurama'd always enjoyed his cooking…. He noted again that the boy was bedecked only in a towel and added, "I'll find you some clothes too," and made for the door.

Mukuro followed him. "Get dinner; I'll find him something to wear."

"Thanks. While you're at it…" His changes of clothing here were few, and could do with more than just rinsing out. Especially the one he'd worn when they'd picked up Takashi and the human boy.

"You wear irregular sizes. That would require actual searching."

Of course. "Right. I'll fend for myself, now that I've brought you someone younger and cuter."

Younger, maybe. But so far her late heir's offspring had managed to incapacitate one of her demons; cause a disturbance while threatening to dismember himself; and shoot off sarcastic after disgruntled comments.

Frankly, she'd yet to see what the hell Hiei had meant when he'd said that he saw little resemblance between his children's mannerisms and his own, little to relate to.

Instead of voicing this, she assured him: "He can't be cuter than you—he's not as small."

* * *

It turned out that Yusuke had worked with Tohru's mother Yumi (2) back when Kurama was pregnant and the brunette was saving toward Keiko's engagement ring. Since then he'd acquired enough status as family friend to ensure that, for now, Tohru's absence from home would cause no suspicion. Fortunately the Butcher was aware that he could not exceed the capabilities of his host; since he was still smarting from his run-in with the larger classmate, he'd opted not to retaliate against his captors. Just to be sure, though, Kuwabara had stayed behind with Genkai and Kuronue: Even if the situation suddenly escaladed, it would be quickly contained. Kurama was due to relieve him later this evening.

His family received this information quietly, neither approving nor protesting. Imperfect as the façade in their house had been—symptoms including whether Shuichi was Kurama (or was it the other way around?), and the presence of an obviously demonic mate plus the discovery of an even more so lover—, the eldest son, regardless of his name and species, had been here among the family again. But having known the cause for Shuichi's return, its reality had grown more vivid since Takashi's and Kenji's accidental trip to the Makai. News of the Mushiyori Butcher possessing Tohru Yamamoto had only sharpened the enhanced reality. And Kurama hadn't withheld them the knowledge that there were deceased antagonists worse than the Butcher that could attain a similar status as more than just a reanimated corpse, but spared them any specifics. In his opinion, the villain they knew was horrible enough with any supplement.

"You know what's strange," Shuichi told him. "Tohru can hold his own against some people, sure—but if I were going to possess someone, and it wasn't for blackmail purposes, I think I'd go for a gangster or a wrestler … or at least that math kid that wailed on him."

To which Kurama replied: "Tohru's possession appears to be circumstantial rather than preferential. The deceased who come back seem confined to do so at the location they expired. Our 'friend's' body was completely gone immediately after his death, by our stairs over there. Having no body to return to, he latched onto one nearby rather than assume the role of wandering spirit like Kuwabara's cat has. Neither he nor his sister has sensed any suspicious surge or other alterations in activity, so it's unlikely that many bodiless spirits have pursued either path. Only some have taken an interest in Ukime's actions," he paraphrased the Butcher. "Many aren't interested and others oppose. Those who have died since the Forlorn Hope was used, whose bodies remained intact at least, are probably in their current states involuntarily."

"Have you tried incinerating one of the zombies and seeing what happens?" Shuichi suggested.

Shiori and Kazuya gave him mildly disturbed glances while Rikou looked as though she were debating whether or not that was a good option. "I think too many would find that inappropriate," Kurama said neutrally. He was almost positive that group would include Yusuke and Kuwabara and fairly certain about himself, but less so about Hiei and Kuronue.

Buzzing drew Kurama from his thoughts and prompted new ones. That was the timer for the oven, or the stove; indication that they were in the dinner hour. He imagined that Kuwabara would rather dine with his wife and children than stay with the possessed Tohru and a gaggle of animate cadavers. "I should—"

"How long will you be?" Shiori asked him. She must have known what he thought he should do. When he admitted that he did not, that weighing Yusuke's and Kuwabara's circumstances against his own and considering his primary function, he was far more expendable for this sort of work anyhow, she nodded (this was a gesture of comprehension, not agreement, he was sure), and said, "Even if you're not supposed to have the same limitations as everyone else, you still function the same. Sit down to dinner with us, then go." This was an order, not a request, he knew. He nodded acquiesce without protest; had he made any, she would have ignored them.

While she and Kazuya set the table, Shuichi sidled up and then lingered next to Kurama. "So do you think Tohru will remember any of this?"

"The demon was playing front man when I conversed with him. Once he's eliminated, I can make sure the boy doesn't recall being his vessel."

"Cool," Shuichi opined. "I was just wondering. After all, just because the demon's at the wheel doesn't mean he's taking a nap in the trunk, right?" His last comment sounded more than just inquisitive, making Kurama start involuntarily. "Not that he automatically _needs_ shielding from this sort of thing, but unless something happens like there turns out to be demons in his family, I don't see what he could gain from it."

Kurama nodded, murmured some concurrence. As he did he scoured his brother's face with focused eyes, visually demanding elaboration.

Shuichi was unable to hold out long. "Whatever happened to that rival in Ganderra?" he said faux-casually.

Raising an eyebrow, Kurama answered bluntly, "I killed him. How did you…?"

"For a while I thought it was a dream. Then everything came out about _you_, and after… Well, once the rulers in Demon World started talking, I was certain."

Both eyebrows went up. "The rulers?"

"Yeah, well—Yusuke's one; maybe that's why he's so good with his and Keiko's restaurants… Then the guy you worked for, and a woman Hiei was supposed to succeed. We've never _met_ them face-to-face or anything, but we have corresponded." Kurama nodded, wondering if a personal encounter occurred who would be more imposing—Yomi with his obviously demonic looks or Mukuro with her cyberkinetic parts. "She's never replaced him," Shuichi added, "but then I guess that demons can live a long time. Although, she has referred to Rikou and Takashi a few times as the Heir's heirs, like maybe she'd be inclined to consider one or both of them as candidates."

Emerald eyes glanced to the pair of older humans in the adjoining room; to the young demon, who could probably hear their exchange, sitting near the opening into the add-on greenhouse built during his pregnancy (Kurama suddenly wondered if Takashi and Rikou had made this a playground when they were small); to Shuichi again. "And how was that possibility received?"

"Whenever it's come up they've said that the twins are too young, they're still in school—which they are," he said rather insistently, not looking at Kurama anymore. The Fox turned his gaze back toward Rikou, who'd begun to look indignant.

"'They' have also never been to the Makai," she retorted, intoning it as an argument. "Not letting someone go someplace because they haven't been there before is a weak reason."

"You haven't been _banned _from it or anything. Grounding you to the Human World would have breached parental wishes. Takashi just stumbled into it earlier than they'd have liked. Try a little something called _'patience'_."

Rikou rolled her eyes at Shuichi's lecture. "I was around the same age before I was able to return to the Makai," Kurama told her lightly. She muttered something about how he _still _looked "around the same age." "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't ever frustrating. Not merely the span between taking refuge and returning home, or what had been home. Try to imagine being conscious that you're a millennium-old demon, formidable and infamous,—and tottering around in a diaper and baby booties." Shuichi furrowed his brow, looking rather horrified by the thought, while Rikou suddenly looked considerably less put off by her plight and somewhat amused by his. "Come to think of it, I wish I'd pointed that out to Hiei. He never was favorable to parole in Ningenkai. Or," he conceded, "to Ningenkai in particular."

His daughter nodded mildly, and said, "Hence his leaving so quickly this time."

Suddenly Kurama was struck with the thought of Hiei being cast off the edge of the isle, an unwanted child. Did their own children know that story? Someone must have told it to them, he was sure, Shiori or Yukina. "Understand the imperativeness of this Ukime matter. Your own friend's current situation is a by-product of it. Kuronue was hurt and one of us needed to take his place. However, that may have been a convenience to him. It's possible—probably—that the family setting hit him hard enough that staggering away was the natural reaction." He waited for someone to say something, but either they were trying to understand Hiei's aversion, or being polite.

Behind him someone coughed; he turned. Kazuya and Shiori had finished setting the table and were waiting on them. Had they been listening to him?

No indication. Just a "Dinner's ready" from Shiori, smiling it appeared at him in particular. He nodded, following the others to the table.

* * *

When Kurama returned to the temple he found Kuronue and Genkai, unsurprisingly since both made their residence there, and Shizuru. "I thought that—"

"My bro's out on a phone call," Shizuru explained. "Yukina's in her third trimester, so if they're not with each other, they're probably going over their minutes calling each other. Or actually, _he_ calls _her_. I think given what I've heard about Koorime that she can manage on her own, but he gets paranoid, so there you go."

Kurama looked concerned. "He's not sensing anything anomalous, is he?"

"Oh no; that's why I said he's paranoid. He was even worse when she was pregnant with Yuki and Haku. _Your _brother was getting ticked off because _mine_ kept calling him in the middle of the night over nothing, since Genkai's smart and doesn't keep a phone." Ah, yes—_Dr. _Hatanaka. "Speaking of kids, how're yours?"

Where to begin? "Rikou sniffed out our demon. Where is—?"

"Sedated and warded in a quiet little room," Genkai supplied. "Your friend's put out—"

"Because I have been put out," insisted Kuronue hotly. Giving Kurama a piteous look, he said, "We've lost our room."

Doing a quick take of their companions (neither of whom looked particularly shocked or uncomfortable, he noted with relief), Kurama quietly pointed out that they had never "used" that room, then said to Shizuru, "Takashi's arm should be fully recovered soon."

"My _favorite _parental disaster now, by the way. Definitely tops Kazuma dropping Haku on his head."

"… Yes, well. Guilty as Hiei feel over it, I see this as a positive incident. At the very least, it's led to a diagnosis from Mukuro." A few quirked eyebrows. "A severed arm, obviously," he acknowledged. "He's also inherited my anomaly." Expected reaction, surprise then concern on her face. Genkai, having helped Kurama considerably in researching for his pregnancy, and Kuronue yielded more impassive reactions to the news. "He'll be fine," Kurama emphasized. "No doubt Hiei missed me when he had to break that news—"

"Do not the Koorime traditionally reproduce asexually?" said Kuronue. "Perhaps it wasn't _your_ anomaly that he inherited."

"Since it's a Koorime tradition, and Hiei's half-Koorime, it wouldn't be _his _anomaly either," Genkai replied. The Bat thought this over a moment and then nodded her point.

"—But his guilt regarding the arm has probably bound him close to Takashi."

"Maybe not," the old psychic said. Kurama gave her a curious look.

At the same time Shizuru mused, "So he can't run away, this time, eh?" and the Fox looked back at her, brow furrowed in mild indignation. "Chill, Kurama, I know both of you are in an awkward place being dead and then not and all. I'm just saying it's weird that someone who tamed a dragon gets overwhelmed by something so domestic. Takashi giving in to cabin fever and running off to Demon World is probably the worst thing either of your kids has ever done. You know Kazuma never bothered telling me that he was competing to be Genkai's apprentice, _or _going to some island to fight demons in gladiator games, _or _getting kidnapped by some disgruntled spirit detective?"

Kurama considered Shizuru skeptically. "As Kaito told it, Rikou manipulated Tohru into his current incapacitation. Isn't that to some degree a bad thing?"

"You guys have still done worse."

"Oh, like you're so freakin' _pure_." Evidently Kuwabara was finished with his phone call. "I've gotta pick up some groceries on the way back. It's been a while since someone other than Takashi ate the last of something at my place."

The Fox smiled a little, but admonished, "Ease up on the teasing when he comes home. He's had a rough time and I doubt he'd appreciate the peripheral agitation."

"Oh, yeah. Well, at least Shorty didn't smash his face through a window _and then charge him for it_. And you're not getting any gas money for the ride," he told Shizuru, "because a four-eyed mind bully guilt-tripped me out of all my cash."

Kaito had made off with some of Kurama's money as well, but more because the Fox was embarrassed over Rikou's tactics—too familiar for his comfort.

"Hey," Kuwabara continued, giving the others a curious look, "has anyone told him the news yet?"

"News?" Kurama inquired.

"I'll tell you," volunteered Kuronue, "if you remedy my lack-of-a-bed problem."

He'd done that on purpose, Kurama suspected, and achieved the desired result. "Um … Good idea," Kuwabara said, giving both demons an awkward look, probably in apology for his awkward tone.

"Are we going, Kazuma?" Kuwabara narrowed his eyes and tossed back something about _her_ slothful habits, but did wish everyone goodnight before insisting again on his way out that Shizuru wasn't receiving any fuel compensation. She lingered after him a moment. "I can tell him the other news, if you want." Kurama consented with a nod and waved goodbye, then cast a curious eye on Kuronue and Genkai again.

"Our bubbly Reikai cohort left us a communicator, which came in handy not long ago," the Bat told him.

Genkai cut to the chase. "Suspected members of the Ukime cult—"

"They favor my word," Kuronue pointed out not a little smugly.

"Congratulations," muttered the psychic, before resuming without a skip, "—have been detected along the Ganderran-Alarician border. Lords Yomi and Mukuro have responded by dispatching a number of their best demons to the area to find and seize the fugitives. Hiei's gone with them."

Even if he was working under Koenma again as opposed to Mukuro, it would only make sense that he accompanied her demons. Looking at Kuronue, Kurama said, "I know it was brief and that your thoughts were concentrated elsewhere and that you were in pain, but—"

"I've already given up everything I can remember about Ukime's appearance," interrupted the other demon, somewhat distractedly**.** "She wasn't even in the immediate vicinity of the Forlorn Hope; one of her 'members' was."

"I was actually wondering if you had a look at the followers themselves."

Kuronue looked pensive. Certainly when they'd attacked him he'd been close enough to make observations, but then again there was something diverting in that word, _attacked_. "Perhaps I could identify them if I had the opportunity," he said apologetically, "but I can't recall anything distinctive."

"If you're worried," Genkai said, "I think we can safely assume that the damage they as a mob can inflict on a lone demon cannot be inflicted on military elite, especially if they're the ones surrounded instead this time."

Absently Kuronue glanced at his leg. Naw, better it was Hiei there; the Jaganshi was already experienced working with Mukuro's demons. He thought of the mob swarming him again, while somewhere in the background loomed their pedagogue. "They're not very high-classed," he said thoughtfully, meticulously, "but there's this great drive behind them. They didn't want anyone even possibly laying hands on that mirror but their own, to the point of desperation. That's really what they are, I think: desperate as opposed to antagonistic." To them it wasn't an attack on the demon or the human living, it was resuscitating their own dead. Clearly, they hadn't expected _this_ sort of outcome, but then the other artifacts provided a remedy for that. What was someone you didn't know if their body could be made suitable to house someone you did?

Suddenly he found himself thinking of his vulpine-human friend's own survival tactics and tried to just as suddenly dismiss the thought. 'Ah, but there proves my point.' Most likely similar thoughts were running through Kurama's head as well.

"Not everyone accepts death gracefully," Kurama summed up. "Ukime founded her cult on the emotions of the mourning. That is feasible; and it wouldn't be the first time someone used the Forlorn Hope with those motives…" Were that the case, Ukime wouldn't have had to persuade the sacrificial follower as much to use the artifact.

"They're not thinking, then," Genkai said. "They cannot consider the consequences of their actions clearly." This possibility of course didn't alter her feelings toward the whole disaster; she for one was sick of playing host to its consequences. At least the demon immigrants she gave refuge to made contributions, while the living dead were only slightly livelier than the common vegetable.

"Perhaps we are over thinking…" murmured Kuronue thoughtfully.

The Fox eyed him curiously. "Do you not think that's the case?"

"No; not that. Although, we can _only think_ that's the case until such a time that the followers or even Ukime herself are apprehended, then we might _know _whether we thought correctly or not… Which could be quite soon, it seems." His expression changed from contemplative to something a little more light-hearted. "Now, how shall we celebrate this advancement by our colleagues in the Makai?"

"Keeping watch while _I _go to sleep," Genkai told him. "Divert yourselves as you will," she said wryly, "so long as I don't have to get up."

"Can do," replied the Bat. Kurama couldn't conceal a guilty smile as he bade the old woman goodnight. His friend rose, turned from him. "Will you join me outside?"

Outside's air was cooler, more refreshing than inside the temple. While Kurama made himself comfortable on the edge of the porch Kuronue leaned against one of the slim columns, flexing one wing or the other on occasion. "What are we over thinking?" the redhead inquired.

"Hm? Oh—I need to give it more thought." Flash of teeth in the dark as he smiled. "That sounds self-defeating, doesn't it?" Without waiting for agreement or dissent, he said, "I don't think your daughter jumped on the possessed boy's, well, possession, as an excuse to have him _not _horribly maimed or killed to achieve gains that I don't think exist."

"It's similar."

"It's _universal_. Opportunity presents itself, take it. Play classmate rivals off a demon's ghost; I doubt its host will hold this against her later, if you're worried."

He wasn't. "I'm not concerned, just mildly disturbed…. Although, apparently the possibility has been broached before by Mukuro that they fill the position made empty when Hiei died. This _strategy_, we'll call it, suggests at least that Rikou wouldn't be wholly incompetent in the Makai. Her brother's already demonstrated that he can survive long enough to locate aid, or more correctly for aid to locate him."

"More impressive," Kuronue opined. "Help is always much slower to find you than you are it." Kurama wondered if he was thinking of how he'd gotten to the temple to begin with. "You'll be having a talk with a few people once they're gathered again, won't you?"

"Inevitably," confirmed the Kitsune with a sigh. "Whether separately or simultaneously, I'm unsure yet which will be better, unless I apply both…"

While Kurama contemplated, Kuronue observed him closely. Prior to their debut back in the Living World there'd been little distinction between the human and the demon faces of his companion, aside from perhaps a little more intimate arrogance on the silver Fox's behalf (the mind, he suspected, took at least a moderate amount of suggestion from its surrounding form, even, it appeared, if both mind and form were metaphysical as opposed to literal). Here though, the difference was more pronounced, or at lest it appeared so. Was it because of Yoko Kurama's vulpine form when Kuwabara "walked in" (How "in", when they'd been outside?) on them, or because Kurama had been agitated and on the defensive at the time, that he didn't put on the diplomacy and acquiescence that seemed designated as a Shuichi Minamino standard? He hadn't expected experiencing the "classic" Shuichi edition near so much, but then perhaps the physical mind took even stronger suggestion from the physical form. Were there any truth to that, Kurama's particular state was even more complicated than Hiei's or his own.

Kurama was not so absorbed in his own thoughts that he did not notice his being the apparent focus of his lover's. "Yes? What are you thinking?"

Light rustling as Kuronue shifted his weight, fidgeted his wings. "I was imagining … how interesting your talk might be, since I don't think I'll see it myself." Almost immediately after, he said, "Now, I am thinking how our host sanctioned whatever means of diversion we came up with." Kneeling so that he was approximately level with Kurama, he jarred the other demon from his thoughts with a kiss on the cheek. Chaste enough, figured the Bat. "I am also thinking how I like the arrangement that Hiei has made, and would not want to give hi cause to misinterpret something and feel offended."

Ah, Kurama understood: "Your move." Wardrobe change, then.

Better, Kuronue thought, when the redheaded familial Atlas took on the monochromatic, vulpine form with which he was more familiar. No need to vocalize that thought, though. Kurama already knew it and he could think of a few other things he'd like to do before speaking as the Fox led them away from the building and toward the trees.

Such as getting out of his leathers and fabrics; Kurama had it so much easier in the matter of undressing. "You're so good at fastidiousness," he retorted when the already mostly nude Fox laughed, "_You_ undo it." His companion did—intentionally slower than was his capability, Kuronue suspected—, and when finally the breeze on his skin was completely thorough he made to repay the gesture. This required less effort on his part as all he really had to do was take a fistful of cloth in each hand and yank downward. Once done, though, he knelt, this time not level with Kurama's head (the one atop his neck, at least), and proceeded to give the silver-haired demon a rather personal sort of bath.

Pale skin quickly gained a light flush, sakura pink. Was his a similar color? He noted with his old interest Kurama's salty taste, not the same salt that one tasted in varying concentrations on other parts of the body. More of a vinegar taste, perhaps? While Kuronue pondered this he eased his lips further up until his nose was tickled by wisps of silver hair, coarser and curlier than the long corn silk strands above. Delicately he chewed a little on the flesh in his mouth, keeping an ear open for any objectives voiced. There were none; only deep, pleasured groans as he swirled his tongue and sucked his mouth—"Ah, ah, _oh_…" Fingers tousled his hair this way and that, his hat having already been knocked off and cast he-didn't-know-where right now, nor did he care. Kurama wasn't the only one being stirred up, as the sensations stirring inside his own body pointed out to him. For a few moments he tried catering to both, moving one hand from his lover's crotch to his own. Soon after, however, the moaning mantra above cut off into a low growl, and the fingers in his hair were now jerking, trying to steer his head away. In his double-focus it seemed he'd taken to not so delicately chewing. Ouch, he thought, grimacing his apology, and then employing just the lips and the tongue. The growl dwindled and became something more agreeable-sounding again; the fingers resumed their massage, after a pointed application of pressure to either temple. Concentrate! they seemed to say.

Who said old lovers are immune to the occasional mistake? thought the Bat in retort. Ah, but he wasn't concentrating if he was thinking indignant thoughts, so he cleared his focus of everything but the particular article of Fox anatomy situated directly in front of him. He continued until he felt Kurama furthertense up, and then eased back, all but removing his mouth. He didn't like that taste, and didn't want to swallow it.

Kurama didn't give any indication of offense while Kuronue let the pearly saliva mixture fall from his mouth onto the grass. On the contrary, he wore a rather placated look on his face, and flopped into a comfortably graceless position on the ground while watching Kuronue run his tongue round his mouth's interior—a comical sight always, no matter how many times he saw it—, trying to get everything out. He used to harass the winged demon over it, but eased up under threats to discontinue that one act entirely, that weren't shaken when he reflected the same threat. Running a hand through his hair, he found an appropriate seed, and then languidly extended his arm the other demon's way.

Satisfied that he'd expelled the semen, or most of it at least, Kuronue looked up and smiled, amused to find himself eye-level with a branch bearing berries that, sure enough, sprouted from his companion's grasp. Plucking a few, while the branch regressed away he popped them one by one into his mouth, liking the texture of the seeds mashed by his teeth, letting the juice refresh his palate.

When he turned his attention back to Kurama he snorted: the Kitsune lay sprawled on the ground, waiting for him presumably. "You're so self-centered," he scoffed jovially. "Don't think this is all about you. I embittered my mouth for you, now you're going to do something for me." Having said this, _he _now flopped over and stretched across the grass, a "so there" in body language.

"Something" generally translated first and foremost to one thing in particular. Kurama wore a bemused expression as he crawled—slower than was normal, and Kuronue suspected it was intentional—over to the other demon, and with _painstaking _care straddled his stomach, smirking down at his slightly impatient-looking companion as he situated himself. "Mm," he murmured, rubbing his rear against Kuronue's abdomen, eliciting a strained look in the latter's face. "Very well," he chuckled huskily, leaning over and kissing the other.

Kuronue went pleasantly rigid, not so much from the kiss as from another silky stimulation below. He rose up and pressed his lips against Kurama's, moving his hips in rhythm to the Kitsune's lower ministration, reaching out and touching the other demon wherever he could. Sure that he must be exhibiting the same changes in hue as had his lover, he had to be something resembling magenta with rushing blood when his belly tightened and he let out a loud, sharp exhale. He took in and let out several deep breaths, then fell back on the grass, one hand still lingering at the juncture of Kurama's thighs.

Got him every time, Kurama thought exultantly. He'd cultivated the trick in his youth, and even taking the period spent in human inertia into account, he'd had a considerable amount of time over which to become quite adept at the working of his tail (3).

* * *

Wrapping his forehead again, Hiei pointed upstream. "That way. Six people; one veiled in the center."

"You see _all_ that?" inquired the lead Ganderran skeptically. Hiei directed a consternated glare at him as he bent to drink from the river. "Oh, I know it's a psychic eye, but like all eyes it can only see so far, so clearly, never mind how dark it is." It was sometime around midnight; Hiei had been out here around three hours. "What evidence do we have to know that we wouldn't be wasting our time pursuing simple travelers by mistake? Did you see anyone with a discolored face?"

Brat, thought Hiei, though he reflected that he really shouldn't be shocked that someone raised by Yomi would regard mere optic evidence doubtfully. Fortunately among the Alarician present was Mukuro's Living Nose, sharp as ever. Shura continued drinking while Hiei stood with arms crossed, waiting as the Nose sniffed in the direction he indicated, and smirked triumphantly when a nasally voice concurred with him. "I smell rotted flesh on the wind," said the Nose.

Immediately Shura spat out the river water. "_Wind_, not water," Hiei taunted.

"I know that!" replied Shura hotly. "I have excellent hearing."

"Your _dad _has excellent hearing," the Jaganshi muttered under his breath (4). In retaliation the other demon kicked up the water, much of which spattered onto Hiei. The latter's face clouded as he looked down at his drenched clothing. "If you've finished glaring at your attire," Shura said coolly—and Hiei was, glaring now at him instead—, "Shall we proceed?"

Hiei rolled his eyes and again pointed upstream. "As I was saying: _that way_."

* * *

(1) Alluding to what Kurama did to Yomi.

(2) She was mentioned _very _briefly in one chapter of "The Wrong Turns & Detours of Love" as a coworker of Yusuke's, "a single mother of two" or something like that. I thought I'd make her Tohru's mom (so she probably has at least three kids now) as another link between the two stories.

(3) I promise I'll write a more detailed account of tail-play; I have such a scene planned for "Lunar Effect."

(4) This is a parody of "Your mom goes to college," a rather nonsensical insult popularized by the film _Napoleon Dynamite _(a rather _bad _film in my opinion, but it was intended to be that way—I hope). Probably Yusuke or Kuwabara would be more likely candidates for the line, but I wouldn't rule out Hiei using it in an exchange either. The only real liberty I took was that Hiei would have been dead the time that particular film came out and thus probably isn't familiar with it (he may be better off—I can already imagine him making comparisons between the carrot-top protagonist and Kuwabara), but oh well.

So we're finally going to see Ukime in the next chapter. I know it might seem strange that the story's antagonist has been so far in the background, but Ukime's also a sort of allegory in addition to being an actual character. More on her to follow soon. Also in the next chapter we're going to check up with Kenji and revisit what Yusuke told Kurama at the hospital; and Takashi might—I haven't written that far yet—make his return (and maybe some comment about Hiei's cooking).


	18. Chapter XVIII

**A/N: **So, yes, I know, you look at this date, and you look at the date on the chapter directly preceding this one… I apologize, I suck! But, I have resolved—not as a New Year's thing or anything, because those go _ker-splat!_ just like that—to tidy up some of my in-depth, long-neglected WIPs, and this one is definitely in want of some attention (_schade!_). And since we are actually nearing the end—really, this story's got a few more chapters before it's _finito_, and I know what I want to happen main plot point-wise, at least—if I start now, she might get done before my (_last_, I might mention) semester is through.

Which is why input, any at all, will be most especially appreciated; it may aid me in keeping pace seeing this baby through to fruition like it deserves!

But ah, if you've waited around this long—and I _thank you _for your patience—I'll not piss you off with further dilly-dallying. Enjoy! (or don't, but let me know why not!)

* * *

Jagamino  
Chapter XVIII  
January 13, 2011

Unsure of how long he'd be at the temple, Shiori had made Kurama a bento box, intended for his breakfast. Fortunate that she had; he wound up sharing it with Kuronue shortly before daybreak, both deeming it wise to wait until after Genkai was awake before trying anything in the kitchen. "Have you given more thought to it?" Kurama asked.

"To what?" replied Kuronue, glancing over at him. In the faded dark of early morning the Kitsune's hair looked lavender, and his eyes stood out eerily gold.

"To the matter that you think we are over thinking."

"Ah, that." Flash of teeth, grinning at the irony of thinking that something may be over thought, but having to think further on it before making a conclusion. "Yes, I have."

"And?"

Matter-of-factly Kuronue said, "I think I should pitch it to Koenma and see what he thinks." Kurama stared at him, mildly exasperated, while he appeared oblivious to the look and instead gazed down somewhat sadly at the now empty bento box. Then he furrowed his brow and looked up. "That's—"

"A car," Kurama finished, hearing it too, and approaching the top of the steps to investigate.

"Whoever it is might be lost," the Bat called out. Perhaps the same thought had struck Kurama, because before he'd finished his warning Shuichi Minamino's form stood at the edge looking down.

Keiko was climbing up, and when she saw Kurama, gave him a curious look. "Were you up all night?" she asked.

"… Yes," he admitted. "I relieved Kuwabara."

"Kuwabara would have caught at least one nap if he'd stayed overnight. Kuronue must have helped you stay up."

Her tone was teasing. "Ah …" he essentially admitted again, looking sheepish.

"I thought Kuwabara was just getting too many ideas from _Chuuou Hospital_," she continued, "But if that arrangement works for you three…"

Monosyllabic replies had worked so far. "Ye—_Chuuou Hospital_?" he repeated in disbelief. His mother had been watching that show since before he was born. She nodded, shrugging. Uncertainly he copied the motion, then asked, "Are you … the next watch?"

She nodded. "Kuwabara was going to come up again, but since Yukina's nearly due he should be with her and the kids unless it's an emergency."

"Agreed. Although," he added gently, "if there _were_ an emergency, he would be better suited to help deal with it…" He trailed off, as she dug around in the sizeable bag she had with her.

And pulled out a large frying pan. "I know it's cliché," she said, "but we needed a replacement anyway after Yusuke had the bright idea of trying his Spirit Gun on our 'Zombie Rat' in the kitchen. I would have killed him, but it'd be moot right now, wouldn't it?" He cracked a smile. "Anyway, if Botan can manage with a bat or an oar, this will work just fine."

Slowly he nodded. This was probably true.

After a moment she added, "You could be with your kids also—"

"Kid," he corrected, "who right now is either still asleep, or preparing for school. Thank you, by the way, for balancing any not-so-studious example Yusuke might have set." This comment earned a small smile. Absently he murmured "I think that in the near future I need to initiate some sort of 'demon talk' with both of them."

"_You'd _be a lot better talking with Takashi than Hiei." He gave her a questioning look. "Kuwabara told me."

So Shizuru had made good on her offer, thought the Fox.

"His mind must be blown right now," Keiko added sympathetically.

He nodded. "Quite a 'welcome to Makai' overall, I'll wager."

"Actually," she dissented, "I meant Hiei."

Pause, then another nod. "He wasn't _abandoning _anyone," Kurama defended. "He intended to come back soon, but…" His features squirmed uncomfortably. "I don't think it's played out like he planned." More squirming. "Of I planned." He gave her a self-deprecating, quasi-smile. "I'm sorry. We must be frustrating to watch."

"Yusuke told me that he told you," Keiko said flatly. Kurama arched an eyebrow; the squirming of the features continued, until settling into another sheepish grimace. "I almost killed him for that, too. It's not a secret or anything," she hastened to add—the redhead had begun to apologize. "We aren't even sure that 'it' is. But Kuwabara and Yukina felt guilty abut it when they had Yuki and Haku, and I didn't want them to." She gave him a look that was tender. "And I don't want you to."

Kurama, reflecting again on his children, and the current status of his entire familial structure, was unable to say anything.

Rustling from Keiko's bag diverted him from his rumination. "I thought it was early enough that you guys might not have had any yet, so I brought breakfast," she said, and showed Kurama the top of a stack of fogged-up plastic to-go plates.

Splitting the bento box with Kuronue had staved off both demons' hunger for a while, but now his stomach growled again.

When they two had progressed to the porch they saw that Genkai had woken and engaged in conversation with, and presumably by, Kuronue. "She didn't break it, did she?"

"No," the psychic answered, "but he became pretty good at being ambidextrous until he could flex that hand without feeling pain."

Kurama listened this exchange with puzzlement on his face. "Yuki's and Haku's birth," Keiko told him. He raised an eyebrow, trying to imagine Yukina wielding such a grip.

Kuronue looked at him. "Hiei promised to bring Takashi back soon, correct?" He nodded. "Maybe he'll be around to have his hand crushed this time…. Is that food I smell?"

Now he looked expectantly at Keiko, who for a moment had forgotten the breakfast she'd brought. "Yes," she affirmed, handing it over.

Everyone was nearly finished with Keiko's contribution, when a glowing light appeared outside the temple. "I see why you dress immediately after waking," Kuronue remarked while Genkai rose. "Cut an authoritative figure with the Makai immigrants."

"Kiss-ass," she muttered. "You're not getting the room back."

"That's past," Kuronue shrugged, though he still sounded mildly put out.

Within the light Keiko thought she spotted a certain bright color and said, "I'm not sure it's a demon." Kurama saw it too, and nodded his agreement. Not long after, their suspicions were confirmed when the now-engorged light expelled its traveler, a familiar blue-haired woman astride a familiar oar. Before anyone could pitch out greeting or inquiry, she'd excitedly jumped off her ride and seized the person closest into an embrace so crushing that it might have induced an inferiority complex had any pythons been watching. Unfortunately for Kurama, the closest person was he, and the others watched helplessly while his eyes almost tripled in size as Botan attempted to crush the life out of him.

Finally Kuronue made an attempt on the Fox's behalf. "Now, now," he admonished, "I don't recall Hiei formulating any arrangement in which _you_ were concerned. You're going to send him back to Koenma's desk prematurely!"

"Oh, sorry!" In an instant Kurama was released. Unprepared for his sudden freedom, he reeled backward, ending in a rather graceless sprawl by Genkai. "You looked like you were in the death throes," observed the psychic. Kurama, still catching his breath, made no reply. Sitting up, he rubbed the side of his face that Botan had tried pulverizing along with the rest of him, winced when he found it tender, and gave her a quizzical look.

"Sorry!" she repeated. "I'm just a little excited I guess."

"Only a little?" Kurama inquired, touching his afflicted facial flesh delicately. ("That's going to bruise," Kuronue warned him lightly.)

She gave him another apologetic look before she continued: "I just came from Hiei and Shura in Demon World. They led the investigation on the suspicious figures on the border."

"Why bother trying to hide on a border when it will agitate two countries rather than one?" Genkai mused. "But then Ukime's folk don't seem to take the long run into account. What'd they get?"

Practically beaming Botan answered: "They got _her_. Ukime and her bodyguards are in custody right now." Turning to Kuronue she said, "You were right about the leprosy-look on her face … one of them, at least. It's sort of complicated to explain."

Kuronue raised an eyebrow, and tried to recall in further detail what he'd seen there, behind the agitated devoted. Alas, though, his memory of that brief glimpse was more faded now than when he'd first described it for Yusuke. "I can imagine," he empathized. Rising he continued, "I really do need to speak with our boss, regarding that mirror I retrieved for him." When all he received was a confused look he said patiently, "I have an idea, and desire his direction in trying it out. Unless our immediateassistance is required?" Botan indicated with an uncertain shake of the head that she did not believe this was so. "Good. Then you can focus on family matters today," he told Kurama, "while you take me to speak with Koenma," he said to Botan. When she made no immediate objections he turned to Keiko and said, "Thank you for the breakfast. It was a fine last meal before going to see Koenma," and then strode over closer to Botan, meeting her confused visage with a confident one.

* * *

When Kenji looked up to greet his morning visitor, he looked into a pair of skeptical green eyes. "You don't seem so sick to me," Rikou said.

Already in the red uniform worn by the girl students at Meiou. Bad shade, he thought, or at least not a very good one. Good to be a boy, even if whatever color one called the boys' uniform was probably only slightly less loud. He shrugged. "Safety first. Also, none of my uniforms are clean."

She sneered at him. "Incentive to do your own laundry, huh, Little Boy Blue?"

Narrowing his eyes, he replied tartly, "I planned to—the day your asshole brother recruited me into getting _lost_ … in some hole, or something." He'd been feeling pretty sick by then; he couldn't remember very well. "And it's not really Little Boy _Blue_ right now. It needs to be re-dyed."

"My 'asshole brother' has his own … complications to deal with right now."

Bitchy tone. His eye twitched in annoyance. "'Complications'?" Where the hell was Takashi, anyway? Rikou'd said he was being treated at another hospital, but then she'd also said she didn't know all the details, hadn't she?

"Nothing hazardous, I think." Just lost an arm protecting the both of you, jerk. "Family anomaly. Our … mother had it." Kenji gave her a curious, pointed look. "I'm pretty sure it won't hurt him," she answered, knowing that was what he wondered. "Cousin Kurama"—weird, but then so was considering him as "mother"—"is very certain that it won't have a major impact on him."

Kenji wasn't satisfied. "But it _could_?"

Aren't we sharp? Too bad he didn't remember where they'd been; maybe she'd be able to tell him flat-out rather than use clever wording. Oh, but then there was the potential disaster of his having to have _everything _explained to him. Never mind. "It could, further down the line. Probably wouldn't hurt him, though." Takashi was hardly Kurama. "So, are you going to stay Little Boy Blue or go back to being Purple Pride?"

"Uh—What?" There was a subject leap. "I dunno."

"I think it looks weird."

"That'd be because the brown's starting to show through."

"No, I meant the blue. It's always been purple; well, except for way back when. Takashi thinks it's a part of your being 'flamboyantly closeted'."

There went his concern for the absent Jagamino. "_He _suggested the blue. And _he's _flamboyant."

"Yeah. So's Tohru. And so're my uncle Kuwabara, and Yusuke, and I think maybe my, uh, cousin's boyfriend."

"Wait—Crap, the one you have Tohru thinking is a girl?"

"No, Kenji, the stunted surly one. Havne't you seen how personable he is?"

He frowned. "Does that run in your family or something?"

"Red hair? Apparently. Or wait, were you asking about sarcasm?" Kenji glared at her. "What, are you—?"

"Who said I was—?"

"Obsessed," she said coolly. "Either way, I don't care. Just that Takashi said something before, making it sound like you're retaliating against _him _for something. Whatever your problem is, he's got enough of his own right now, so vent it elsewhere."

Kenji found that he was growing rapidly hot; embarrassment and anger. "Where's Tohru?" he asked listlessly. That was why she was already in uniform, instead of putting it off for something more Rikou, or at least something not as lurid. Her walking closet wasn't with her.

"Caught something. He's doped up right now."

"_Seriously?_" He groaned. "Give me a break, but then I guess this stuff happens in threes, huh?"

"I hope. Then I'm immune." Kenji rolled his eyes. "So, you never answered my question."

He didn't. What was he supposed to say? _Little Boy Blue doesn't know what to do… _

"Thought as much," she said. "Give me your homework before I'm late and neither of our assignments is accepted." Mutely Kenji rummaged in his nightstand drawer, handed her a folder.

Suddenly she diverted again. "Where were you guys," she asked him, "the day you got lost?"

"If I knew where we were, we wouldn't have been lost, would we?" She gave him a look that was like late frost on green grass. "We set out from Dad's school," he offered. "Why?"

"Curiosity," was all she answered, before stowing his folder in her bag and leaving for school.

* * *

"You're kidding me."

"No, I am not."

So flowed the conversation between Koenma, Prince of Reikai, and his recently resurrected, new employee, Kuronue. The former wore his mature form for the occasion, and over that, an expression that communicated dumbstruck and disbelief. Seated opposite, in front of the desk, the latter shifted in his reclining position, unfolded and refolded his arms, and wore his mouth in a complex fashion, mimicking both a smirk and a grimace.

Still unable to wrap his mind around it, Koenma opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again. "That's … so _simple_," he managed.

"It is," Kuronue agreed.

"That _can't _be right."

"It is," Kuronue argued.

Resistant, Koenma shook his head. "If this were plausible—"

"Someone would have thought of it sooner?" Kuronue offered.

Hesitantly the Prince of Death affirmed, "Kurama, at least…"

"Are you saying that you value his intelligence over mine?" Kuronue smirked. "Granted, this is just a detail—a great, mobile, inconspicuous detail—and everyone's had larger concerns." He looked at Koenma pointedly. "Especially Kurama."

This begot a sigh. First impulse when Koenma had heard the news about Takashi, considering Kurama as precedent, was to suggest a hysterectomy. However, considering Kurama as precedent, considering Kurama as a _presence _right now, he feared the repercussions, so he'd kept his mouth shut.

Kuronue saw the conceding expression on Koenma's face and moved in. "So because we're deferred in finding the answer by larger problems—and I know that you know that just because Ukime was arrested this morning, does not eliminate those problems—and by personal effects, that answer must be defective?" He shook his head side to side in a chastising gesture. "Really," he said mock-despairingly, "I think you just don't want me to have any credit. Dead before I garnered anymore than regional notoriety; resurrected, and put on low-profile spy duty in Makai, _without _all those intimate high-level connections Hiei has; I get injured retrieving the one artifact you've got back in your possession right now, and am switched to 'zombie' clean-up." He glared at Koenma. "Prince of Death, you're beginning to offend me. And here you've already admitted that had Kurama come to you with this same answer—"

"Does Kurama _know _this answer?" Koenma interrupted, partly the escape being further ensnared as audience to the oration of Kuronue the Rhetorician.

Dryly: "Did you not hear me say 'personal effects'? His child comes home today to join the other, and since that pedagogue is in custody, there's no immediate matter that should divide his attention." Kuronue unfolded his arms, spread his hands in an appealing manner. "I'm not his child. I have no ties to delay me. What I _do _have is a little score, though, if you recall how I was injured in your service?"

This was Kuronue's personal effect. Koenma might as well let him have it.

"Agreed," he granted, motioning to George, who had been standing by the door, and now went out into the hall.

Behind him, Kuronue heard the door open again, heard on the floor the tattoo of several guards enter. Good thing, he reflected, that it was him rather than one of the other resurrected agents/former thieves, should anyone hold a grudge.

"We've received a brief from Gandhara," Koenma said. "What little information Hiei and Shura got from Ukime so far. Mostly, a picture." He pointed at the screen that hung above his desk.

Kuronue had to lean forward and turn his head around to get a proper look from his seat. "Knew I hadn't imagined the discoloration," he said, returning to a more comfortable position. "I suppose that now we know why your files had nothing on her. How much would you wager that 'Ukime' is a composite name or something along that line?"

"You have nothing to bet with," Koenma said reproachfully. He already anticipated a flood of Makai files alone, which would be shaved down once their information grew, which could still leave thousands, if not millions, of files to go through.

The Bat smirked. "Guess not. At least I'm not stuck paper pushing."

"You'll do what I tell you," the god said, sullen at the prospects that lay ahead. "You moved up from charge to _employee_, remember?"

_Fuck_. He grimaced somewhat apologetically. "I'm counting on you, Little Enma," he said, turning around and laying cool eyes on the cracked surface of the Forlorn Hope.

* * *

A thousand plus years of a thousand plus smells did not prevent Yomi from crinkling his nose in revulsion.

Hiei saw, and smirked. "Something smells rotten," he said.

Yomi finally released an offended, gagging sound. "Shura. Hit him."

The Gandharan heir looked from his father to the Jaganshi, raised his hand and made a half-hearted attempt at Hiei, who made a half-hearted but effective dodge. "Don't try and tell me you haven't smelt worse before," the short demon scoffed at Yomi.

"I've certainly heard worse," the offended demon retorted testily. "I'm still deciding whether this stench reminds me more of a leper colony, or the gallows."

The walls here were not soundproof. "Aren't you so _proper?_" the occupant on the other side hissed. Or might have hissed, but there was something too liquid in its—her—voice, which prevented her accomplishing the proper texture of a hiss. "Did you make such a face when you resurrected your _minions_, you hypocrite?"

Since early morning, each of them had been plied with that term at least several times apiece. "I resurrected _Rekai's _'minions'," Yomi corrected. "And ensured that they stopped at number three. Mind what's left of your tongue, or I'll send one of them fetching embalming fluid."

While in her cell Ukime launched into another condemning uproar (Hiei opined that Kuronue had been right, likening her to a cult leader in her fervor), Shura flashed a slightly sadistic smile, and said, "But Dad, what about the other half of her?"

"How symmetrical is she?"

Shura thought a moment, decided that the adventurous was most apt. "Imagine if Lady Mukuro went broke, and traded in her mechanical parts for cadaver refuse."

Hiei narrowed his eyes, even if the slight was unintentional.

Yomi smirked. "Keep in mind that Lord Mukuro's late heir is at your side, and armed. Report."

Side-glancing the Jaganshi, Shura said, "Followers of Ukime's cult have been detained at the city's outskirts. Word's spread that she's been imprisoned here; I guess they thought they could reclaim her. They're passionate, but not especially intelligent. Most of them are female, and when asked"—Hiei snorted at the understatement—"all have lost a friend or family member in the past year and a half. Ukime attracted their interest with resurrectionist promises, which were supposed to be exacted via the stolen artifacts from Reikai."

Tilting his face toward the glass wall separating captors from captive, Yomi said, "Traditionally, when a demon is lost to bereavement, they react with either homicidal or suicidal designs. I'll attribute _this _convolution to the belief that your rotten extremities also encompass your brain, as no sane demon would aspire to put the souls of their cohorts in bodies of human origin."

Once upon a time, Hiei might have agreed with this verbatim, but now he frowned. He knew that the head of Gandhara had once tried to seduce Kurama back to a purely Makaian lifestyle, and felt the need to vindicate his family in the human world. "Unless they were desperate," he amended.

The eye on Ukime's right side widened, gleamed. "Name me a desperation stronger than that of one who faces their beloved being ripped from them, Jagan Master."

Hiei ignored her.

"As for Ukime _herself_," Shura continued. "Due to the incongruence of her anatomy, we took a sample from both her right and left sides—"

"_MONSTERS!_"

"The right side is intact and fully functional. The left side is mortified and significantly handicapped. Like … a combination of leprosy and stroke, if you will." Yomi uttered a grunt of cognition, that he did. "Also—"

"Her left side is male," Hiei said. "She's not intersex," he added before that question could be asked. "She's a composite: two demons made one. End report. For further information, I suggest vivisection."

Yomi bared his teeth in a mordant grin, the more pronounced originator of Shura's smile. One the other side of the glass, Ukime let out an enraged howl.

—Which abruptly died.

Hiei cocked an eyebrow as the cult leader ceased struggling against her bonds. After a moment her right hand twitched, her head flopped to one side.

Left side. "Did she have—another stroke?" Shura said.

"Enough," Yomi dismissed, unwilling the stand the smell any longer. "Call Reikai."

"Let me in there," Hiei told him.

"Pardon?"

"You went to the trouble of giving me back the Jagan. Let me use it."

Obviously Ukime had just succumbed to some vulnerability. Physically, and perhaps mentally. "I see," said Yomi dryly. "Proceed."

Before them the door into Ukime's cell slid open. Hiei removed the ward on his forehead, told himself that Yomi was grossly exaggerating the smell (but if he did have to cast a vote, he was leaning toward gallows), and stepped over the threshold.

* * *

_Thud._

Takashi blinked; closed his eyes, opened them again, and squinted at the form in the shadows of the hall. He would not go so far as to consider himself _used to _those unfortunate things that at home were being called "zombies," but here in Makai, ironically, were referred to by the more poetical term "locust shells." However, they at least no longer caught him off guard. Usually.

Except that he'd never seen one just flop to the ground, until now.

"What is it?" a woman asked. Mukuro had come into the hall.

With his newly-mended arm, Takashi pointed at the currently not-so-animated shell. "This is the first time I've seen one of them do this," he said, stepping closer. He tensed up, senses tingling—perhaps from the feeling of being in such close proximity with it, or from the smell that seemed to have suddenly grown stronger.

"I think it's _dead_," he stated, looking from it back to her.

She scrutinized it, then looked down the hall at an approaching attendant.

"Message from Spirit World," said the attendant.

Mukuro walked down the hall, throwing Takashi a look that indicated that he ought to follow. He followed her into a room with a screen, currently featuring the image of the god that Takashi recognized as Koenma, though not the toddler that his uncles joked about.

"Lord Mukuro," Koenma greeted.

"Lord Koenma," Mukuro returned. "Does this call have anything to do with what is happening to my locust shells?"

What might have been relief flashed upon the god's face. "They're dying, Mukuro. The line between living and dead has been restored. All your 'locust shells' should revert to simple corpses shortly."

"Cheery," Takashi could not refrain from opining sarcastically. Now the mobile Mukade would be a mobile mausoleum, and now that _he _was mobile again Takshi had the feeling, the same premonition that came right before Shiori would launch a deep-cleaning campaign, that he was going to get put on corpse-chucking duty.

"What enabled the restoration?" Mukuro asked Koenma.

Was the _embarrassment _on the Prince of Death's face? "It was a highly complicated process that took a great length of time to execute," he said in a flustered fashion. "I only wanted to ensure that it had taken effect." Quickly he added, "Gandhara's calling. Goodbye, Lord Mukuro."

The screen blackened. "My life," Takashi said, "is in the hands of a spaz."

"Only your afterlife," Mukuro corrected. "You have free will."

A few seconds passed. Though he knew this might be setting himself up: "Shouldn't we do something about them," Takashi said, when she hadn't moved, "before they start stinking up the place?"

"If Gandhara is calling Reikai, we should also receive a call shortly." However, she did actually turn to look at him this time. "Your dosage has almost run its course." She was referring to a pain dosage; although Takashi's appendages were once again all intact, his innards were still trying to incapacitate him. "Take another one, and then find Kiren. You can clear out the fortress then."

_Knew it_. Takashi hurried off, more to find the medicine than to bring out the dead.

A few minutes later Mukuro was vindicated by a beeping sound, and a light flashing on the screen. _Gandhara calling._

"What has happened?" she asked when Hiei, not Yomi, appeared on the screen.


End file.
